


I'm Making A Monster

by TheWakingWorld



Category: Rosario + Vampire, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crossover, Drama, Ethical Dilemmas, Friendship, Gen, Hide is stressed out, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kaneki and Tsukune are brothers, Swearing, and they are both very unlucky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-04-24 13:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14356182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWakingWorld/pseuds/TheWakingWorld
Summary: Since they were children, it has always gone like this:Kaneki was the bright child that teachers cooed over. He was brilliant, and remarkably mature, even as a small child.Then, there was his younger brother, Tsukune. The useless one. The ordinary boy with no hobbies and few friends. He struggled to live up to his older brother’s immaculate grades, but his efforts seemed to only make things worse.They grew so differently, but they had two things in common:1. They were cursed with horrible luck2. They were going to be monsters





	1. Inimitable

**Author's Note:**

> So, here’s my reasoning: if I gave them both the surname ‘Kaneki’ things would get confusing fast, as I am 100% unable to refer to Kaneki as “Ken.” The same goes for “Aono Ken.” Kaneki is Kaneki. I’m fully aware that this is his surname, but I refuse to call him Ken so screw that. Meet Aono Kaneki.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Inimitable (ih-_ nim _-i-t uh-buhl_ _): So good or unusual as to be impossible to copy_

 

     Since they were children, it has always gone like this:

  
     Kaneki was the bright child that teachers cooed over. He was brilliant, and remarkably mature, even as a small child. The school sang his praises as he got A after A in every class. He was a genius, after all, and the only reason he didn’t graduate early is that he declined, wanting to stay behind with his best friend, Hide.

  
     (“What a despicable child, dragging him down like this. He’s a ball and chain just slowing him down; he’s a burden on Kaneki-kun.”)

  
     Then, there was his younger brother, Tsukune.

  
     The useless one. The ordinary boy with no hobbies and few friends. His grades only seemed to get worse with each passing year, as he fell more and more behind. He struggled to live up to his older brother’s immaculate grades, but his efforts seemed to only make things worse.

  
     (“Why couldn’t he be more like his brother? How disappointing. Kaneki-kun must have inherited all the smarts in the family, leaving none for his younger brother.”)

  
     He wasn’t a voracious reader like Kaneki, and he wasn’t as quick picking things up or as diligent in his studying. Even in matters as superficial as appearance, Kaneki always seemed to win. While Tsukune’s eyes were an ordinary brown, Kaneki was born with eyes that were near-silver in the right lighting, and a stormy grey when he was upset. While Tsukune could be called handsome, Kaneki had delicate features and a heart-shaped face that made nearly every female he met coo. Simply put, Tsukune _lacked_ in every way.

     It would have been easy to resent his older brother. He was, after all, always deemed better, always the person their mother wishes Tsukune would be. But that isn’t how it worked out.

  
     You see, their mother meant well. She truly did. Their mother believed in being kind to all and putting everyone before yourself. Every day, she lived by these standards and raised her sons to them. Maybe she would have done well, had circumstances been different.

  
     But in her constant working to feed her two sons, in her generosity to her sister and all who needed help, a resentment was borne deep in her heart for the children who made her slave away day by day. Nothing too terrible, she did indeed love her sons, but enough.

  
     When Tsukune was eight and Kaneki was eleven, their mother was furious upon hearing that her youngest was slacking off in school.

  
     (“How dare you. After all I’ve done, all I’ve put into keeping you fed and housed, this is what you do? Be ungrateful and shameful and no doubt a future NEET? How dare you.”)

  
     She rose her hand to her youngest son, but it was Kaneki that took the blow.

  
     (“It’s better to hurt than to hurt others, right, kaa-san?”)

  
     And he continued to take every blow, sparing his little brother from their mother’s fury. It was better this way, right? Kaneki was the favored child, so he’d receive the praise his brother never got, but also the abuse. It was only fair, wasn’t it?

  
     Tsukune continued to struggle, as unlike Kaneki, academics weren’t his strong suit. He just couldn’t focus like his older brother could, no matter how desperate he became with each passing year. His grades eventually came to hover in the middle of the rankings, enough to be acceptable in most cases, but not their mother. He had to be better, better, better. So Tsukune continued to try and fail, as his mind became distracted by every little sound and his motivation festered into something that felt almost like loathing.

  
     He found he couldn’t study when Kaneki was bruised and alone, separated from the world by his every eloquent word and every page turned. Kaneki loved reading (more than Tsukune could even comprehend), but his books were also a barrier between him and everyone else, only occasionally breached by his brother or his best friend, Hide. Despite the perfect grades and the smarts and all the things he should be jealous of, Tsukune worried about his older brother. He seemed to become a little more brittle with every biting word spat by their mother, a little bit more distant with every new bruise.

  
     Then, the accident happened.

  
     Tsukune was thirteen when steel beams nearly crushed his brother. He learned of this in the early morning, conveyed in their mother’s shocked, monotonous words. At no point in his life had he felt such terror.

  
     (Even later on, when fighting monsters became his new norm, he still had yet to feel fear so wholly and overwhelmingly.)

  
     He remembered vividly the first time he saw his older brother after the incident. A full 48 hours after the fact, as the doctors claimed he was still being operated on and stabled. Tsukune remembered walking through the hospital with one hand clutching their mother’s, who for once didn’t berate him for being meek. He remembered the long pause before their mother opened the door to Kaneki’s room as if she was preparing for the worst. He remembered wanting to pass her and open it sooner so he could see his brother, but not wanting to upset their mother.

  
     More than anything, the memory of Kaneki’s fake, fragile smile burned into his mind.

  
     Kaneki wasn’t the same after that. Tsukune knew that his older brother was already on the brink of breaking, so it came as no surprise when Kaneki shut himself away after the accident. But he became skittish, twitchy, and had a haunted look in those grey eyes of his when he thought no one was looking. Tsukune saw these signs and knew that the accident had truly traumatized his brother.

  
     Despite what their mother said, Tsukune wasn’t useless. He tried to help his brother when he could, even if it was little things like visiting the coffee shop he worked at or giving him hugs that left him stiff and wound up, but happier. Slowly—ever so slowly—Kaneki began to settle back into himself. Once two years had passed, the only overt thing left of that trauma was the medical eyepatch over his right eye.

  
     Then, their mother snapped.

  
     Kaneki had graduated that year with flying colors, but Tsukune? Tsukune didn’t, and their mother had had enough.

* * *

     “Yokai Academy?” Tsukune said, a note of skepticism in his voice that he couldn’t entirely hide.

  
     “You will be attending Yokai Academy at the start of the school year,” their mother said, using her you-have-no-say-in-this voice; both brothers were well-acquainted with it. “They are willing to accept you, despite your horrendous performance in the past. They’re giving you a chance, Tsukune-kun.”

  
     “But—”

  
     “You will go, and you will graduate.”

  
     “Kaa-san,” Kaneki spoke up from where he was sitting on the couch, his newest book closed and laying in his lap. “Have you looked into this school? I’ve never heard of it before.”

  
     The black-haired woman with dark bags under her eyes gave her elder son a reprimanding look. “This is the only place that will accept him, Kaneki-kun. There isn’t a choice in the matter.”

  
     Kaneki’s brow furrowed. “But you have looked into it, right?”

  
     “Enough,” their mother dismissed, and Tsukune got the terrible feeling she didn’t research the school at all. “Tsukune-kun is going, and that is final. Focus on college, Kaneki-kun.”

  
     Tsukune’s only consolation was that Kaneki looked as dubious as he felt on the matter.

* * *

     When it was time for Tsukune to leave, their mother wasn’t there to see him off due to work, but a much louder presence had taken her place.

 

     “C’mooooon Tsukuneeee.” Nagachika Hideyoshi shook his shoulders, a pleading look on his face. “You gotta do this for me, man. It’s your duty as my bestest buddy’s brother!”

  
     Behind him, Kaneki looked to the sky, visibly seeking patience.

  
     The fifteen-year-old shook his head, looking bemused. “I don’t understand what you want from me. Pictures?”

  
     “Information,” Hide whispered in his face, like it was some grand secret. “I couldn’t find anything on this school, even though I am the hackiest of hackers. This place is bound to be full of all sorts of secrets, like Hogwarts!”

  
     “And?”

  
     “You,” Hide tapped Tsukune’s cheek, and he scowled back, “are going to be my spy.”

  
     “You’re spying on a high school,” Tsukune said flatly.

  
     “A very suspicious high school!” Hide chirps, slapping Tsukune’s back a bit harder than he would like.

  
     There was an exasperated sigh. “Just go with it, otouto. He’s not going to let up until you agree.”

  
     “How rude, Kaneki!” Hide turned to his best friend, looking quite offended. “I would never pester such innocent youth!”

  
     Tsukune looked incredulously at Hide. _‘Isn’t that what he was doing? And innocent youth? I’m only three years younger than him!’_

  
     Kaneki chose to ignore Hide. “Do you have everything you need? Toothbrush? Underwear?”

  
     “Yes, nii-san.” Tsukune shook his head, exasperated. “We already went through everything.”

  
     “Pepper spray?”

  
     “Nii-san!”

  
     “He’s just being a mother hen!” Hide laughed. “Don’t mind him. He just wants to look out for his cute younger brother.”

  
     “But you do have pepper spray, right?”

  
     “Oh my god…”

  
     Eventually, Tsukune was allowed to leave, but not after making multiple promises to call and not to get killed horrendously. Kaneki also tried to convince him to bring an aerosol can, but Tsukune drew the line at flamethrowers. His older brother wasn’t happy, but Tsukune had learned not to trust Kaneki’s advice when it came to any remotely risky matters. It was strange because Kaneki used to be a practical and reasonable individual, which he still was until you threw any conceivable danger into the mix. Then he should not be listened to.

  
     When Tsukune learned the nature of his new school, he wished he’d taken the damn aerosol.

* * *

     The next few months were absolute insanity. Tsukune was attending a school for monsters, apparently, and _how was he so unlucky?_ His only reliefs upon learning this was that he had Moka-san there with him and that no ghouls attended the school. So at least Tsukune wouldn’t have to worry about getting eaten. Hopefully.

  
     Tsukune had known of the flesh-eating beings called ghouls—how could he not? He lived in Japan, the epicenter of all ghoul activity, so it was impossible to not know of ghouls. Still, he was not prepared to learn that other monsters were real as well. Vampires, werewolves, witches—almost every “mythical” creature he’d ever heard of existed. And that thought alone was terrifying.

  
     To add to that revelation, it seemed that he really was the most unlucky person alive (Maybe it was a family thing, he and Kaneki always did seem to pull the short stick).

     Tsukune could barely go a full day without a monster ditching their human disguise to scare the daylights out of him. A succubus (Kurumu would become a friend, though, so it was worth it) tried to kill him, a damn _mermaid_ almost bit his face off, and a werewolf tried to assault Moka—all of this within the first few weeks. And that was only the start of it.

  
     Tsukune forgot his promise to call home, which was understandable considering the constant threat against his and his friends’ lives. “Spying” for Hide took a backseat when he was nearly burned to death by a Youko (Spirit Fox) and only survived thanks to an emergency blood transfusion from Moka. He also wasn’t thinking about calling his big brother when _he turned into a vampire_ for a few minutes and beat up said Youko. No, alerting the family wasn’t high on his list of priorities.

  
     The thing was, Tsukune didn’t have his own phone. He had to use the line at Yokai Academy to call anyone, so no one could reach him by phone. Not even if they hacked into the phone lines.

  
     It wasn’t until the day before summer break that Tsukune finally called. He figured that it was only right to tell his brother that he wasn’t coming home for the break thanks to a camping trip. He felt terrible for not calling before, despite how it was utterly _not his fault_ , and he felt even worse for ditching him when he technically could go visit. But summer vacation with Moka and everyone… it was too tempting an offer to pass up.

  
     His brother didn’t pick up his phone, though. Neither did their mother.

  
     Tsukune had sighed, figuring his brother must be busy with college and his mother with work. He almost hung the phone up, when he remembered his promise to Hide. 

 

     He barely made it past the first ring.

  
     “Tsukune! Where have you been?!” Hide’s voice was urgent and snappy, which startled Tsukune. Hide was usually very laidback, with the loud dramatics when required, of course. He never sounded so… on edge.

  
     “Um. At school?”

  
     “No, I—” Hide took a breath. “Why haven’t you called? Did something happen? We—” his voice broke off.

  
     “Hid—”

  
     “I was worried! I couldn’t find any way to contact you or even see if you were alive and then all of this happened and—”

  
     “Hide!” Tsukune near-yelled, now thoroughly freaked out. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

  
     “Damn it, Tsukune.” There were voices in the background; it sounded like the news channel.

  
     “Hide—”

  
     “Kaneki is missing.”

  
     Tsukune stopped. He stopped breathing. He stopped thinking. He stopped moving. He simply stopped.

  
     “What.”

  
     “Kaneki is gone,” Hide repeated. He sounded exhausted. “He’s been missing for six weeks now. No one knows where he is.”

  
     Tsukune didn’t feel the ground as his knees collapsed under him.

  
     “I talked with the police, and I’ve been putting up missing posters everywhere, but we still have no leads. I even asked Anteiku if they knew, but they didn’t tell me anything except that Kaneki hasn’t been showing up at work.”

  
     Tsukune could hear someone else talking to him, asking what was wrong, but all Tsukune could listen to were Hide’s words, even if he couldn’t quite comprehend them.

 

     “Your mom is still in denial. She’s been working even more fiercely than before. She’s trying not to think about it, I guess. I even took up a job as a paper pusher at the CCG because, well…”

  
      _‘A ghoul could have eaten Kaneki,’_ Tsukune finished, staring at nothing as a hand shook his shoulder. _‘He could have been eaten weeks ago, while I was having fun with Moka and the others.’_

  
     There’s a shaky sigh on the other side of the line. “You okay, Tsu?”

  
_'That would explain why they haven’t found him. He was eaten and is digested now. There’s not even a body to find.’_

  
     “Sorry, buddy. I shouldn’t have sprung that on you all at once like that. I’m just getting pretty stressed, especially since I couldn’t get a hold of you. I did now, though, so there’s one weight off my chest…”

  
      _‘Nii-san could be dead right now.’_

  
     “Are you coming home for the break? It’d be good to see you, and I’m sure your mom will be delighted.”

  
     “Kaa-san is never delighted,” Tsukune said, but the words felt distant, empty. Like they weren’t even his own.

  
     “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Hide tried to laugh brightly, but it came out tight and almost like a suppressed sob. “So, can you come?”

  
     Tsukune blinked. A decision. He forgot how to make decisions.

  
     “Tsukune? Tsu? You there, buddy?”

  
     “I’ll come home.” Tsukune didn’t remember making a decision, and yet the words came out.

  
     How could he laugh with Moka and Kurumu and Yukari and Nekonome-sensei when his kind big brother could be dead?

  
     “Good, good. You need help getting here? I have no clue how to find that school, but—”

  
     “I’ll come home,” Tsukune repeated. “Tomorrow.”

  
     And Tsukune hung the phone up.

* * *

     Tsukune didn’t know how long it took for him to come back to the present, but when he did, he wasn’t alone.

  
     “Tsukune?” Concerned green eyes filled his vision, along with silky pink hair. Moka. “Tsukune, can you hear me?”

  
     “Tsukune,” another voice said. Light blue hair and purple eyes. Kurumu. “What happened? You gotta tell us so we can fix it.”

  
     Kurumu was crying.

  
     “Yeah! We can beat someone up if they made you sad!” Short black hair and darker purple eyes. Yukari.

  
     Tsukune said nothing.

  
     Kaneki was probably dead. His older brother. The boy that loved books and protected him from kaa-san and taught Tsukune how to make coffee. His soft-voiced older brother with those almost-silver eyes of his and quiet happiness. His strong brother who escaped being crushed by steel beams and survived the worst of kaa-san’s rants and blows. His big brother was probably dead.

 

     “Please, Tsukune.” Kurumu was holding his left hand, he realized. Moka was holding his other hand, and Yukari was leaning against his right shoulder. “Please, tell us what’s wrong.”

  
     He was kneeling on the cement, in an uncomfortable position he didn’t feel.

  
     “Tsuku—”

  
     “My brother,” Tsukune rasped. “My brother is missing.”

  
     “Oh…” Kurumu’s grip on his hand slackened, and her face crumpled. Such a compassionate girl, feeling Tsukune’s shock and fear and misery when she’d never even met Kaneki. Tsukune couldn’t find it in him to care.

  
     Moka’s grip, however, went tighter. “How long?”

  
     Tsukune met her gaze, and saw her strained frown and lowered eyebrows. She had sisters, didn’t she?

  
     “Six weeks.”

  
     The vampire’s frown sunk deeper, and Tsukune could pinpoint the moment she realized that Kaneki had very little chance of being alive. Moka’s grip was so tight, a vampire’s strength behind it, yet Tsukune was distanced from the pain. What did his hand matter when his big brother was dead?

  
     There was a long silence before Yukari spoke up.

  
     “Well, he’s just missing, right?” The little witch straightened up, determination written on her face. Moka gave her a warning look.

  
     Tsukune nodded.

  
     “Then there’s a chance he’s still alive!” Yukari held his shoulder, staring into the boy’s eyes. “We can still find him, Tsukune-san!”

  
     Tsukune stared back, not fully comprehending her words.

  
     “Yukari,” Moka started, but the witch pressed on.

  
     “He could still be out there.”

  
     What if Yukari was right? What if Kaneki was alive, waiting to be rescued?

  
     “We need to find him!”

  
     If he didn’t look for his brother and he was still alive… Tsukune couldn’t bear to think about that.

  
     “Yukari, stop, he—”

  
     For him to be able to save his brother but giving up before he could, letting Kaneki die.

  
     “No, Yukari-chan is right.”

  
     The three monsters looked at the sole human, all stunned.

  
     Tsukune hardened his resolve and met their eyes.

  
     “I’m going to look for nii-san over the summer break, and I’m going to find him. No matter what.”

  
     There was a beat of silence, then,

  
     “Count me in!” Kurumu brightened, wiping her tears away.

  
     “Me too! I’ll help you find your brother,” Yukari agreed, closing her eyes and smiling.

  
     Moka looked between the three of them, some war being fought within her head (possibly between Inner and Outer Moka) before she smiled hesitantly. “Yes. Let’s find Tsukune’s brother.”

  
     Tsukune looked at these three girls in front of him, and for once, he didn’t feel like the unluckiest person alive. He never thought he would have such wonderful friends, not ever. He was plain, ordinary, dull—yet here they were, willing and ready to help him. He smiled as well.

  
     “Yeah. Let’s find Kaneki-nii.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing about Tsukune is that he isn’t dumb. He’s not as quick as Kaneki in learning, but he’s far from being bad at it. The reason he did so poorly was because of his mentality; he was called useless and lesser by his own mother, after all. He didn’t believe he could do better, so he didn’t. Self-fulfilling prophecies and all.
> 
> I'm excited about this story and I'm eager to mesh together the worlds of Tokyo Ghoul and Rosario + Vampire. But I'm also somewhat lazy, so updates with undoubtedly be slow. I have a lot of ideas, though, so I won't be giving this story up anytime soon.
> 
> Please tell me what you think! Even if it's just criticism or just an 'I liked it,' I appreciate comments. Thank you for reading :


	2. Vacillate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are many bus rides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this last time, but I’m following the manga of Rosario + Vampire and Tokyo Ghoul. Both anime adaptations are very different from the manga, so I think I should make that clear. Also, the ghouls in Rosario + Vampire still exist, but I’m going to call them demi-vampires to avoid confusion (I wanted to call them Inferi, but I’m limiting myself to one Harry Potter reference).
> 
> Also, I switched to present tense as that's usually the style I write in, and the last chapter was a setup chapter so I thought past tense would be better suited. Let me know if the tense bothers you.
> 
> Things got graphic without me meaning it to, but hey, Tokyo Ghoul. Graphic is its middle name. Tokyo Graphic Ghoul. I'm tired, shut up.

_Vacillate (_ vas _- uh-leyt): alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive _

 

     In this world, there are so many different kinds of monsters.  
  
     Some monsters hide behind barriers and disguise their horns and hooves and claws and wings. They are the vampires, the werewolves, the spirits, the witches, the occult. They are what most would call “real” monsters because unlike the other types, they look the part. They are the creatures that the human children believe hide under their beds and in closets, whose very appearances terrify the ordinary. These are not the only monsters, however.  
  
     There are the human monsters who live to destroy and tear and break, who delight in ripping families apart and ruining innocent lives. They don’t have the sharp teeth and glowing eyes, but they are monsters all the same. A different kind of monster, one arguably worse than those found in places such as Yokai Academy.  
  
     Then, there are the ghouls.  
  
     Unlike the first brand of monsters, ghouls naturally look the part of a human most of the time. No magic or ability needed. It’s only when they feed that their true nature becomes apparent. Red pupils on black scleras, strange organs protruding from their backs and used as weapons, demented grins morphing their faces into something hideous. The blood of their newest victim staining their teeth.  
  
     Worst of all, ghouls survive by eating human flesh, and for that, they can be considered the true monsters of this world.  
  
     What makes a monster a monster? The looks, the behaviors, the mentalities, the genesis? It remains unclear.  
  
     And how does one make a monster?  
  
     There are a number of ways.

* * *

     "How delightful this has all turned out,” a masked man says with unhidden glee. The dim light of the few surviving chandeliers dances across his mask. A painted smile and a bulbous red nose. A clown.  
  
     “Hey, Onee-chan, look at this one!” A red-haired woman points with a grin.  
  
     A corpse decorates a fallen chandelier, expensive crystal piercing her through the abdomen. She is a beautiful woman, discounting the mutilation of her body and the frozen scream contorting her face. The parts of her not maimed are curvy and feminine, and the fabric barely hanging onto her corpse seems to have once been a gorgeous green dress. A bite mark could be spotted on her neck, not from cannibalism, but some steamy exchange beforehand.  
  
     She’s also half-eaten, missing her eyes and an entire arm.  
  
     “At least she went out with style,” the woman says with a giggle, reaching out to twirl a finger through the dead partygoer’s curled hair.  
  
     “Oh, he did a marvelous job,” the man chuckles, looking up at the balconies ensconcing the grand stage they stood upon. There have to be at least fifty dead ghouls painting the checkered linoleum floor red.  
  
     “He took all the good organs, though,” the woman complains, taking her hand out from where she stuck it in the remains of the corpse’s chest. “What a glutton. I like him.”  
  
     The man chuckles again, sauntering toward the center of the large stage. There she is.  
  
     A child, no older than eleven, lies prone and unconscious. She’s unharmed in the center of all the carnage, nothing more than a few scratches on her pale, exposed arms. Malnourished, very small, and yet armed with a plethora of blades, strung across her chest in a makeshift holster.  
  
     The man stops in front of the girl, crouching down. He sniffs.  
  
     Yes, she is a human.  
  
     “Aw, and he has a sweet spot for children! How adorable.”  
  
     “She must’ve been a pet,” the man comments, brushing blonde hair from the girl’s face. “And a good one, if she’s lived to this age.”  
  
     “Oh, are we taking her? We should totally take her.”  
  
     The man smiles. “Hmm, I suppose. I always have liked children.”  
  
     The redhead squeals then pinches the unconscious girl’s cheek. “Oh, we’re going to have so much _fun_ together.”  
  
     The masked man gazes at the slaughter all around them, then at the child, then at the massive gouge marks in the floor.  
  
     “I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next, Kaneki-kun.”

* * *

     He made it out alive. He survived a school full of murderous creatures. He is alive.  
  
     Honestly, there had been many, many points when Tsukune was sure he wasn’t going to ever make it back to the human world. It had seemed too absurd. Yet here he is. Alive.  
  
     ( _But is nii-san?_ )  
  
     Their bus glides down the road like it’s just a typical bus, not one hosting multiple monsters. The bus passes and follows ordinary cars and human buses like it belongs among them. Their glowing-eyed bus driver even exchanges a wave with a human bus driver, like he isn’t an eldritch abomination that sends shivers down Tsukune’s spine.  
  
     Tsukune will never admit to it, but there are tears in his eyes when he sees human civilization for the first time in months. Seeing the phone lines, chatting pedestrians, the lack of any inhuman features… something in his chest relaxes. These are humans. These people are not as likely to kill him for existing.  
  
     A strangled noise comes from behind him, and Tsukune looks to see Yukari curled into herself, clutching her wand tightly. She’s staring out of the window beside her with wide, searching eyes. She seems scared.  
  
     “Are you okay, Yukari-chan?”  
  
     Yukari startles at his voice and turns to face him before snapping her head away again. “I’m fine.”  
  
     Tsukune frowns, and Kurumu—of course—takes notice.  
  
     “Stop worrying Tsukune, you little brat!” she yells, and Yukari dodges the fist the succubus sends at her head.  
  
     “Kuru—”  
  
     “Shut up, bimbo!” a magically conjured pot lands with a loud _thwack_ on Kurumu’s blue-haired head. The succubus screeches.  
  
     “Guys—”  
  
     “Stop that! I’ll claw your eyes out, you little—”  
  
     “ _Guys_ —”  
  
     “Just try it! I’m not afraid of you!”  
  
     The black-haired human sighs heavily. Next to him, Moka gives him a sympathetic smile.  
  
     “Don’t worry, Tsukune, they’re just playing. They’re friends, after all.”  
  
     Said “friends” are currently pulling each other’s hair with supernatural strength.  
  
     “Yukari-chan is a witch, so she must be a little worried about traveling into the Human Realm.” Moka frowns. “After what happened at that human school… Well, I suppose I am too.”  
  
     Yukari bites Kurumu’s hand, and the blue-haired girl screeches even louder. She then tries to make good on her promise to claw the witch’s eyes out.  
  
     “What does Yukari being a witch have to do with that?”  
  
     Moka’s green eyes widen. She draws her eyebrows together, suddenly pensive. “I forgot, you don’t know about monster history. You were raised not knowing we existed.”  
  
     Tsukune suddenly fears where this is going.  
  
     The vampire gives him a weak smile. “Well, the history between humans and witches is… bad, to say the least. Like ghouls, they were hunted down and killed indiscriminately. A few centuries ago, the humans succeeded in a near complete genocide of witches, so there aren’t very many of them left. Their number’s grown a bit, but—well. They were once as common as outcast ayashi.”  
  
     Tsukune remembers, faintly, tells of witch hunts when he went to school. He’d never thought twice about them.  
  
     “So most witches despise humans or at least want nothing to do with them. Not only did they massacre so many of them, but humans also tend to act and live in ways they don’t approve.”  
  
     “What do you mean by that, Moka-san?” There’s a pit in Tsukune’s stomach. How terrible must it be for Yukari to be in a human city?  
  
     “Witches harness power from nature,” Moka says, holding up a finger as she delves deeper into her ‘lecture mode.’ “More than anything, they believe in living naturally. Such as not disrupting the balance of the earth by eradicating ecosystems or contaminating what was once clean and pure. Humans stomp all over their ideologies with how they destroy forests and pollute water and kill off entire species.”  
  
     Tsukune had never truly thought about what humans are doing to the earth, but now that he is, he’s horrified. He’s become so desensitized to the destruction of nature that it takes a full-on lecture from a vampire to make him think.  
  
     No wonder witches hate them.  
  
     And not only is Tsukune a human, but Kaneki is as well. And yet Yukari is still willing to help them, to save his brother. She’s the one who insisted on it.  
  
     He feels the urge to turn around and thank Yukari profusely, but Moka sees the look in his eyes and touches his shoulder.  
  
     “Not right now. I’m sure Yukari doesn’t want to think about it.”  
  
     There’s another pair of yells from the two girls and another _thwack_ sound.  
  
_‘Kurumu-chan is distracting Yukari-chan.’_  
  
     Tsukune nods to Moka and smiles a bit to himself. _‘I have great friends. I hope you get to meet them, nii-san.’_

* * *

     “You took FOREVER!”  
  
     Tsukune suddenly can’t breathe as a familiar young man wearing a bright yellow and black jacket crushes him.  
  
     “What took you so long?! I’ve been here for _three hours!_ ”  
  
     Tsukune looks up at Hide—for who else could it be?—incredulously. “I called this morning and told you we were arriving at four!”  
  
     Hide puffs out his cheeks, like he isn’t eighteen years old. “I wanted to make sure I was here to get you!”  
  
     “You—”  
  
     “Whoa!” Hide interrupts Tsukune, staring behind him with wide brown eyes. Tsukune turns around, curious as to what caught his brother’s best friend’s attention. It’s just his three friends standing there awkwardly.  
  
     Tsukune yelps as the older boy draws him in close, whispering, “Oh my god, are _those_ your friends? Dude, _how?_ ”  
  
     Tsukune hadn’t even thought about it. It hadn’t even crossed his mind.  
  
     Now that he thinks about it, most boys don’t come back from school with three beautiful girls in tow. Especially not ordinary boys like Tsukune.  
  
     “Uhhhh…”  
  
     “You must be Hideyoshi-kun!” Moka says, beaming at Hide, who looks flabbergasted. “Tsukune told us about you. My name is Akashiya Moka. It’s very nice to meet you!”  
  
     Hide gapes.  
  
     The blue-haired girl butts in front of Moka, a coy smile on her face. “I’m Kurono Kurumu. It’s a pleasure.” Kurumu then nabs Tsukune’s arm, pressing it against her (voluptuous) chest in a hug. Tsukune yelps.  
  
     Hide makes a dying cat noise.  
  
     “I’m Sendo Yukari!” the little dark-haired girl declares, latching onto Tsukune’s other arm. Kurumu glares death at her and pulls Tsukune closer. Yukari sticks her tongue out and pulls him back. Moka frowns at them both and inches closer.  
  
     Tsukune gives Hide a weak smile.  
  
     “Oh my god,” Hide repeats, looking between the three girls and the teenage boy. “Dude, you got a _harem?!_ ”  
  
     Tsukune freezes. What? _What?_  
  
     “Wh—NO!”  
  
     Moka blushes profusely, sputtering, but Yukari grins and says, “Pretty much, yeah!”  
  
     “NO I DON’T! Don’t encourage him!”  
  
     “No way,” Kurumu agrees, pulling a flailing Tsukune’s head to her chest. “I am his one and only, we’re destined!”  
  
     “Kuru...mu…-chan...crushing…”  
  
     Moka’s face darkens. Yukari giggles.  
  
     “Haha, this is great!” Hide is grinning now, which is always a bad sign. “Kaneki’s gonna flip!”  
  
     A beat of silence. Kurumu lets go of Tsukune’s head. Tsukune flinches as if he’d been slapped, staring at the floor. Moka shifts awkwardly.  
  
     Suddenly, the grin is gone, and Hide looks solemn. “We’re going to find him. You don’t have to look so grief-stricken, okay?”  
  
     Tsukune swallows. “Y-Yeah. We’ll find him.”  
  
     The three girls look to their friend, concerned. Hide sighs.  
  
     “C’mon, we gotta go catch the bus back to my apartment. I don’t have a car, and no way are we walking all the way there.”  
  
     Tsukune looks up from the floor to meet Hide’s brown eyes. “I thought we were going to my house? Didn’t you say you wanted me to see kaa-san?”  
  
     The blond young man scratches his cheek. “Yeah, it’s just that… well, no offense to you girls, but she’ll probably freak if she sees you all.”  
  
     Tsukune winces. His mom would definitely get the wrong idea if he showed up with three beautiful girls. She wouldn’t be inclined to give him The Talk or warn him about future romantic endeavors, no no. She would assume that Tsukune was being a no-good miscreant who was abusing his time at the academy to get laid. So...  
  
     “Yeah, let’s go to your apartment. That sounds like a better idea.”  
  
     Hide gives him a knowing look, then leads them out of the station.  
  
     It only takes a few minutes for Tsukune to wonder just what happened in Tokyo the last few months.  
  
     People are jumpy and high strung, every loud noise alarming them and their eyes snapping to the source before slowly relaxing. Many glance over their shoulders often, and Tsukune is given a distrustful glower if he passes a bit too close to any pedestrian. Children are ushered out of the streets as quick as humanly possible, their parents wrapping arms around them as if to physically shield them from something. No one enters any of the alleys, either, everyone within sight avoiding them with nary a glance.  
  
     A businessman on his phone accidentally bumps into a child, and the mother shrieks at him, pulling her son away.  
  
     “Why’s everyone so on edge?”  
  
     Hide gives Tsukune a weird look. “Well, things have been dangerous around here lately, especially in the neighboring wards. It’s got everyone pretty keyed up.”  
  
     Tsukune frowns. “Dangerous how?”  
  
     Hide stops walking to stare at Tsukune.  
  
     The black-haired boy shuffles his feet, looking to his friends. The three girls seem to be as clueless as him.  
  
     He’s given an incredulous eyebrow. “Dude, is your school completely cut off from the rest of the world, or something?”  
  
     “Um. Well.” Tsukune shoots a trying-not-to-panic look at Moka, who bites her lip.  
  
     “Yes, sort of. Yokai Academy is a private school, so we’re far from hu—uh, I mean cities.” Smooth, Moka. Smooth.  
  
     “Okaaaay,” Hide drags out, not at all convinced. Tsukune is, in fact, trying very hard not to panic. Why didn’t he remember that he’s introducing his friends to _Hide_ of all people? You know, the guy that seems all laidback and nonchalant when he’s actually one of the scariest people Tsukune has ever met. Because Hide is scary. Very scary. He _sees_ things in a way no one else does, catching onto _every little detail_ and adding it to his ever-growing bank of knowledge. He’s _perceptive_ , he remembers even the smallest of stutters, and neither Tsukune nor Kaneki had ever been able to keep a secret from him.  
  
     To add to that, Hide was _already_ suspicious of the academy. He’s been suspicious since the first time he heard about it. So he’s even _more_ watchful than usual.  
  
     This is a terrible idea.  
  
     “So, I guess it’s up to me to give you the scoop!” Hide shifts gears, a teasing smile on his face, but Tsukune isn’t fooled. His brother’s best friend is _thinking_. “Well, young ones, listen closely!”  
  
     Next to Tsukune, Kurumu bristles.  
  
     Hide turns around so he’s walking backward, earning him more than a few glares from passerby that he cheerfully ignores. “So, you all know about ghouls, of course.”  
  
     Tsukune doesn’t like where this is going.  
  
     “Japan’s got a huuuge population of ghouls, more than anywhere else in the world. Especially Tokyo. Though we live in the safest ward, the 20th, there are ghouls everywhere. At least, that’s what the news says. Most of us haven’t actually seen a ghoul, so they’re kinda an unknown.”  
  
     They reach the bus stop just as the bus pulls in, and Hide ushers them inside. Yukari hunches down and latches herself to Moka, eyes darting between the surrounding humans. Moka spares the witch a reassuring smile, but her attention is quickly drawn back to Hide’s monologue.  
  
     “The point is, Japan’s had ghouls for a long, long time. They aren’t anything new, but. Well. Things are getting worse.”  
  
     Something drops in Tsukune’s stomach, and he collapses into a stiff seat on the bus. So, it was a ghoul that—  
  
     “Usually, ghouls are killed when apprehended, but a lot of people made a fuss about it a few decades ago. ‘We’re not murderers like them,’ was their reasoning. So, they made a _huge_ prison called Cochlea in the 23rd ward to lock up the ghouls that are spared. All living ghouls in custody are sent there, probably for interrogation.”  
  
     Kurumu sits next to Tsukune and grabs his hand. With bleary eyes, he blinks at her in his stupor, and the succubus stares back solemnly.  
  
     “Thing is, there are a lot of ghouls there, from low-rated ghouls to even SSS-rate. And there was just a massive breakout.”  
  
     “What?” Moka gasps, hand flying to her mouth. Around them, a few eavesdroppers flinch and look very interested in the scenery.  
  
     Hide nods. “Yep. A whole lotta ghouls got out just a few weeks ago. The CCG isn’t giving out much information; they probably don’t want the public to freak out too much. Which, as you can see, hasn’t exactly been working.”  
  
     It’s easy to see what he means; the only person not sitting on the edge of their seat with paranoid eyes are the children, who don’t know any better. At the end of the left aisle of seats, a white-suited man scans the entirety of the bus’s occupants, even the bus driver herself, with a hand on his silver suitcase. A ghoul investigator.  
  
     “From what I’ve been able to find out, it seems at least two dozen ghouls were released, at least a quarter of them SS-rated. The group responsible for the breakout is a very powerful ghoul organization that has more than likely recruited the escapees. And that organization is rumored to be gearing up for a massive battle. A lot of people think a full-out war with the ghouls is coming.”  
  
     It takes a moment for Tsukune to realize he’s shaking. The only reason he knows is the worried look Kurumu gives him. He can’t stop it.  
  
     Ghouls have never been a problem for Tsukune, nor were they ever… _real_. Sure, Tsukune knew they existed, how could he not, living in Japan? Every time the news came on there’d be at least a passing mention of a ghoul attack in another ward, so it wasn’t like he didn’t know _of_ them. But Tsukune has never, ever in his life, seen a ghoul. Not even on the television, as such images weren’t released to the public. He knew them objectively; they had red and black eyes—that’s how you identified them—and they ate humans. But other than that, his understanding of ghouls was hazy and that of some vague red-eyed creature skulking in the dark alleys of other wards. They were scary, yes, but nothing Tsukune ever thought he’d have to worry about in his life.  
  
     But now, with this talk of a _war_ with ghouls, and his brother’s disappearance… things have gotten far too real.  
  
     A poke in his side makes Tsukune jump.  
  
     “Hey hey, calm down, buddy,” Hide chuckles. “No need for all that doom and gloom. Jeez, you Aonos love being downers, eh?”  
  
     Tsukune doesn’t answer.  
  
     “Things are gonna be fine, chill out. I did say we’re in the safest ward, right? If war’s coming, you can be sure we’re hardly on the fringes. Besides, I’m a super secret agent at the CCG, so I’ll know when things are gonna go down.”  
  
     Yukari blinks. “Super secret agent?”  
  
     “Yeah!” Hide tries for a grin that doesn’t come out quite right. “A super secret agent! So secret even _I_ don’t know who I’m spying for!”  
  
     Kurumu raises an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”  
  
     “I mean, haha…” Hide scratches his cheek. “I’m not spying for anyone, obviously, but even the delivery guy running around hears some things, you know? I bring coffee to the high-up investigators, so I overhear a lot of stuff. Like who they’re targeting or when they’re planning a raid or where the highest ghoul activity is currently. That kind of thing.”  
  
     Moka bites her lip. “But the ghouls… They’re serious, aren’t they? They’re preparing for war.”  
  
     Hide takes a look at her, then the two other girls, then the distressed Tsukune. He sighs heavily, an extra bit of his cheerful mask shifting. He looks so, so tired. “It seems like it. Everyone’s so busy with the ghouls, that’s why there hasn’t been much headway with Kaneki’s disappearance.”  
  
     Tsukune’s head jerks up, and brown eyes meet.  
  
     “Nii-san?”  
  
     Hide nods, running a hand through his blond hair. “Yeah. The police don’t care much to find some random missing guy when they’ve got maneaters running around the wards. They don’t wanna spare officers to track down a regular civilian with the chaos right now. It’s more important for them to stop more murders than find a missing person.”  
  
     “That—how could they!” Tsukune yells, startling the girls and other passengers. Tsukune rises to his feet, swaying as the bus moves forward. “Just because other crimes are happening doesn’t mean they should ignore this! Nii-san is _missing_ , and he could be hurt or captured or—or—”  
  
     “Tsukune,” Hide starts, but the black-haired boy forges ahead.  
  
     “He could be in danger; they can spare a few people to look for him! Just because he isn’t a ghoul doesn’t mean he isn’t important!”  
  
     Hide flinches, averting his gaze. “I know where you’re coming from, Tsu, but—”  
  
     “Tsukune’s right,” Kurumu says. “He needs help! Just because the hum—”  
  
     “Police!” Moka cuts in. “Just because the police are busy doesn’t mean they should just give up on Kaneki-san!”  
  
     “I know it’s—”  
  
     “We’ll find Kaneki-san then,” Yukari huffs, letting go of Moka’s arm for the first time since they boarded the bus. “If those stupid hu—”  
  
     “Police! We’ll find nii-san instead of the police!” Tsukune finishes, face hardening.  
  
     There’s an uncomfortable silence as Hide takes the four of them in, those brown eyes of his assessing. They linger too long on Moka’s rosary and Yukari’s wand, before tracing the lines of Tsukune’s determined face clinically.  
  
     “Yeah, that’s the plan,” he says finally. “The authorities are busy with the ghouls, so we’ll find Kaneki ourselves.”  
  
     Hide glances out the window, and Tsukune realizes they’re getting close to Hide’s apartment.  
  
     “We’re definitely going to find him.”  
  
     The fire that fueled Tsukune flickers out, and he collapses back into the uncomfortable bus seat, exhausted.  
  
     He spoke big, but he feels overwhelming despair at the thought of looking for Kaneki. If even Hide couldn’t find him after six weeks… Tsukune has to try. His big brother is out there somewhere, possibly alive or likely dead, so Tsukune can’t give up. Kaneki is out there, and somehow, they will find him. They _will_.

* * *

     On the other side on Japan, in a run-down apartment, a pale, shaking hand holds a well-used phone. The screen is alight with two recent messages.  
  
**Hide: Guess whos back in tooowwwnn? Not gonna tell unless you answer : P** **  
** **  
** **Hide: Okay fine you got me its your little brother. You should come say hi! If you do I promise I wont be mad despite you ditching me for over a month like a mean person**  
  
     In would be easy for him to call. Just a tap on the green button.  
  
     A black-nailed finger hovers over the button. And doesn’t press.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Tokyo Ghoul:re has an anime. I’m kind of scared to watch it, considering how the second season went. Let us pray to Ishida Sui.
> 
> Please share your thoughts on the chapter! I love feedback, even if it's just criticism. Thank you for reading!


	3. Conniption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Outer Moka's self-esteem issues and a pissed off Touka.

_Conniption (k uh-_nip _-sh uhn_ _): a fit of rage, hysteria, or alarm_

 

 

    “This,” the blond boy named Hide gives a dramatic flourish, “is Anteiku!”

 

    The four visitors just dropped off their belongings at Hide’s apartment, and they were barely given anything more than a glimpse of the kitchen and the leftover smell of fast food before Hide rushed them right back out. Instead of letting them settle in, Hide immediately pushed them back onto another bus, babbling about ‘investigations’ and seeing a ‘Nishio-senpai.’

 

    Within minutes, the two humans and three monsters reach a charming coffee shop with high windows revealing an equally picturesque interior. A warm light comes from inside, where Moka can spot several glossy wooden tables with chattering humans gathered around. It’s crowded for the time of day, populated by groups of all ages. Populated with… humans.

 

    Moka’s heart stutters, and she clasps her rosary. Humans. There are humans in there. That friend of Tsukune’s—Hide—seems nice for a human, like Tsukune, but still… Moka is afraid to enter. What if they’re like the humans from her last school, who called her horrible things and pushed her in the hallways and pulled her hair? What if—

 

     _‘You are a vampire,’_ a silky voice whispers from within her soul. ‘ _Such beings cannot harm you unless you let them._ ’

 

    Moka nods to herself, but she isn’t convinced. Her inner self is so much stronger than her; she would never let a human hurt her. But this Moka… she isn’t as strong as her silver-haired self is. Humans have already hurt her many times—not in body, but in mind. Humans could be so cruel. She didn’t want to…

 

    A warm hand grabs Moka’s, and she glances up to see Tsukune giving her a reassuring smile. It must be hard, because Moka knows he’s mind-numbingly worried about his brother. She doesn’t know if she’d have the strength to give such a smile if Kokoa or her elder sisters were in grave danger.

 

    “We’re here with you, Moka-san,” Tsukune says. “Nothing bad will happen to you.”

 

    Something bubbles up in Moka’s chest at that, something breathless and warm and _good_.

 

    ( _One may even call it love._ )

 

    Words are on the tip of the vampire’s tongue; she doesn’t know what they are, and she’ll never know because—

 

    “You’re here for me too, right Tsukuuneee?” Kurumu—the damn succubus—latches to Tsukune’s side, batting purple doe eyes up at him. Her voluptuous chest pressed against the teenage boy.

 

    “Y-yes, of course, Kurumu-chan,” Tsukune says, flustered. “Of course.”

 

    “Me too, right?!” Yukari jumps in front of him with a little twirl.

 

    “Of course, Yukari-chan!” While Tsukune is busy making promises to the little witch, Kurumu smirks deviously at Moka, who reddens and glares back.

 

    There’s a snort, and Moka looks past Tsukune to see their human guide observing this all with an amused eye. Moka’s face heats up, letting go of Tsukune’s hand to cover it.

 

    “Not that this isn’t hilarious,” Hide says. Abruptly, his voice goes serious. “But I’ve got a mission for you, Tsukune.”

 

    Tsukune blinks at the tone, and Moka hopes desperately that this mission will not devolve into a battle.

 

    ( _Especially one where she has to inject her blood into Tsukune again._ )

 

    “Y-Yes? Does it have to do with nii-san?”

 

    “Right on the mark!” Hide swivels around, walking closer to the bustling cafe. “You see, the last time Kaneki was seen was at Anteiku—he worked here as a waiter,” he says for the benefit of the girls.

 

    “Didn’t you already talk to them?” Tsukune walks forward as well, leaving the girls to stand awkwardly for a moment before following.

 

    “Totally, but I couldn’t really get any info from them. Touka-chan hates me!” Hide makes a show of wiping away an imaginary tear. “I don’t know what I did, but the most beautiful waitress of Anteiku can barely stand the sight of me!”

 

    “It’s probably because you hound her for a date every time you’re here,” Tsukune says dryly.

 

    “Why won’t she return my affections?! I’m smart and handsome, and I—”

 

    “So you want me to get information on nii-san from her?”

 

    Hide gives the teenage boy a teary look before giving in. “Yes. She’ll probably hear you out, seeing as your Kaneki’s little brother. Probably.”

 

    With that vote of confidence, they enter Anteiku.

 

    Thanks to Moka’s enhanced sense of smell, the aroma of coffee bombards her the moment she crosses the threshold. It smells delicious, but at the same time far too strong for her liking.

 

    “Welcome to Anteiku!” a voice calls out. It’s a girl a few years older than them, around Hide’s age. She has a small, friendly smile on her face until she catches sight of the blond human among them. The smile falls. Her one visible eye narrows ominously, and she points to an empty table.

 

    The group of five complies, moving to sit at a table in the far corner. There is no window near to gaze out of, but the table is in clear sight of the counter. To keep an eye on them.

 

    “What do you want?” the girl asks with an irritated bite. Instead of a waitress’s line, it comes out as a demand.

 

    “Touka-chan!” Hide greets her in a voice far too loud for the shop’s atmosphere. “It’s been so long, how are you?”

 

    “Order something or get out,” she near-snarls, and all of them save Hide and Kurumu inch back in their seats. This girl—this _Touka_ —is scary. And she really does seem to hate the blond human.

 

    “Hehe,” Hide rubs the back of his neck. “How about one of those creamy coffees with the cute decals on them!”

 

    Touka continues to frown darkly—watching him for a moment with deep suspicion—but jots something on her notepad. “The rest of you?”

 

    “A regular cappuccino. And, uh, hi Touka-san.” Tsukune smiles awkwardly, raising a hand in greeting.

 

    Touka blinks at him, finally noticing her friend’s little brother among the three brightly-colored girls.

 

    “Tsukune?” She looks surprised momentarily, before frowning again. “Where the hell have you been?”

 

    “My new school. It’s kind of far from here. Didn’t nii-san tell you about it?” That’s the wrong thing to say.

 

    Touka bristles then waves her notepad around. “Orders?”

 

    Tsukune looks like he’s about to press her, but Moka sees Hide give the other human a warning look, and he closes his mouth.

 

    “A… coffee?” Moka speaks up. It sounds like they have the same kind of drinks as the monster world, but she isn’t too sure. She doesn’t want to ask for something that doesn’t exist.

 

    Touka turns that dark look on her, and Moka shuffles in her seat. Her inner self demands she maintain eye contact, so that’s what Moka does. The waitress’s face only gets darker when Moka doesn’t cower away.

 

    “Are you an idiot?”

 

    “Touka-san!” Tsukune snaps, clenching a fist on the table. “Moka-san isn’t doing anything wrong, please don’t insult her!”

 

    The dark-haired human* rolls her eyes. “Fine. But would you care to elaborate on that, _Moka-san_? Coffee’s about the only thing we serve here.”

 

    Moka blushes and looks to Tsukune. He nods, but Moka still isn’t sure what they even have here in the human world. No, she’s overthinking this. “I’ll have what Tsukune’s having.”

 

    Tsukune flushes a bit. Touka gives her a flat look that seems disapproving somehow.

 

    “Me too!” Kurumu speaks up. “Tsukune has great taste!”

 

    Yukari giggles. “I’ll just have some of Tsukune’s~”

 

    “Oi! Like hell you’re going to share a drink with him you little brat!”

 

    “You can’t tell me what to do! Besides, Tsukune will share. Right?” Yukari turns puppy dog eyes on Tsukune, who immediately caves in.

 

    “Um, yeah. I’m not all that thirsty anyway…”

 

    “Well then, I’m sharing with Tsukune too!” Kurumu yells, rising in her seat.

 

    “Not again…”

 

    “You—”

 

    “Stop making a ruckus,” Touka snaps, glowering at them with her one visible eye. The succubus and witch do stop but turn their glares to the human girl. A brief staredown. Once she’s sure they aren’t about to duke it out in her shop, Touka swivels around and strides back behind the counter.

 

    “I don’t like her,” is Yukari’s verdict. Kurumu crosses her arms with a huff.

 

    Tsukune frowns. “She’s really upset. I guess nii-san—”

 

    “Great!” An angry voice catches Moka’s attention. “Just what we needed, more damn ghouls!”

 

    Moka looks behind Yukari, where a group of humans clusters around a television screen. They seem to be college students, all male save for one russet-haired female shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

 

    “We just can’t catch a break, huh…” another says. Moka looks to the television screen.

 

    ‘SIX FOUND DEAD AT CONSTRUCTION SITE IN 20’ is plastered across the screen, a female reporter above it. Moka tunes out the conversation between Tsukune and Hide, her vampire hearing allowing her to hear the report over all the coffee shop’s ruckus.

 

    “—all workers on the site killed in a grisly fashion this morning. CCG investigators confirm that this is the work of a ghoul, suspected to be S-rated Red Widow.”

 

    A sketch appears in the upper right of the screen, picturing a beautiful woman.

 

    “This ghoul has been described as relatively tall for a female, around 170 to 175 centimeters (about 5’7 to 5’9 feet), with shoulder-length brown hair and a spiraling tattoo around her neck. Red Widow has also been known to frequent coffee shops. If you see anyone that fits this description, please contact—”

 

    “Coffee shops in 20?” one of the men watching looks sick, paling and clutching his coffee mug tightly. “Should we…”

 

    “It’s not like a ghoul could attack us in the middle of a coffee shop in broad daylight,” another reasons. “Just don’t go home with any brunettes; problem solved.”

 

    “That’s gonna be hard.” A grin and two of the males crack up while the others continue to look worried.

 

    Moka holds her rosary again, unable to stop herself from surveying the shop. There are a few brunettes, all of them looking human and harmless. But Moka is a monster. She knows well that the worst of creatures can hide behind innocent facades.

 

    “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” the russet-haired woman says, but there’s an odd note to her voice as she watches her friends.

 

    “Here.”

 

    Moka is startled out of her thoughts by a creamy cappuccino set in front of her. There’s a cute bunny drawn in the foam.

 

    “Woah~” Hide looking adoringly at his coffee. “It’s so cute! Thank you, Touka-chan.”

 

    Touka scoffs and turns around to leave.

 

    “W-Wait, Touka-san!” Tsukune speaks up, standing. The human girl spins around immediately, as if she was expecting Tsukune to call her back, and glares.

 

    “ _What?_ ”

 

    “Uh,” the dark-haired boy falters for a moment before resolve hardens his face. “Touka-san, do you know anything about where my brother went?”

 

    The tension between them skyrockets, and Hide half-stands as well, looking warily between the two other humans. Kurumu and Yukari glare at Touka, just _asking_ her to refuse their friend. Moka, however, looks back at the television then the few brunettes and has a bad feeling.

 

     _‘Something is off here,_ ’ her inner self agrees. ‘ _The waitress knows something; it seems trouble is brewing in Tokyo… and we are at its center._ ’

 

    A chill goes down Moka’s spine, and she grips her hot cup of coffee, searching for any warmth to drive out her soul-deep foreboding.

 

    “I don’t know shit about where Bakaneki is,” Touka says curtly, and she turns to leave again.

 

    Tsukune moves forward, reaching out to grab Touka’s wrist. She hisses, stepping away from him.

 

    “Wait! I’m sorry, Touka-san, but I really need to find nii-san. He could be in danger and—”

 

    “Then let him.”

 

    Tsukune freezes.

 

    “Let the idiot get hurt. It’s his own damn fault anyway.”

 

    Hide’s brown eyes flash with something calculating.

 

    “He’s your friend, isn’t he?” Kurumu yells, standing as well. The other occupants of the shop turn in their seats to witness the drama. “If he’s your friend, you shouldn’t just let him suffer!”

 

    Something terrible crawls onto the human girl’s expression, something hurt and distressed and despairing and  _guilty_. Then it morphs into an all-consuming  _fury_.

 

    Before anyone can say or do anything, Touka stalks back to the table, eye burning red for a split second, and raises her hand.

 

     _Crack_.

 

    Touka slaps Kurumu, sending her reeling backward. The shop goes silent for a beat.

 

    “Hey!” Tsukune shouts and Yukari moves to flick her wand at the waitress, only for Moka to stop her. Yukari pulls at her wand, but Moka doesn’t let go. The humans can’t see a witch conjuring something, or they’ll be in major trouble.

 

    “Touka-san, why did you— that wasn’t—”

 

    “Don’t speak about shit you know nothing about,” Touka snarls, looming over a half-fallen Kurumu. The succubus holds her abused cheek with one hand and regains her senses enough to snarl back at the waitress.

 

    “How _dare_ you—”

 

    “Hey, let’s calm down!” Hide interjects, waving his arms around. He looks back to the other customers with a half-reassuring half-warning smile. Most go back to their business.

 

    “How dare _I_?” Touka moves forward, but Tsukune rushes between her and Kurumu.

 

    “Stop it!” he demands, arms outstretched to keep Touka back. “Kurumu-chan didn’t do anything wrong, Touka-san!”

 

    Touka bristles, but an unfamiliar voice cuts in.

 

    “Tch. You’re making a scene, stupid woman.”

 

    Touka doesn’t even turn to look at the newcomer. “Butt out, Shitty Nishiki.”

 

    The speaker is a waiter as well judging by this dress, with hazelnut-colored hair and square glasses. He’s tall, well taller than all of them but especially Touka, even when slouching.

 

    “Go throw a tantrum somewhere the customers won’t see you.”

 

    Touka turns to scowl at the redhead, a retort on her lips, when she seems to remember where she is. A few of the shop’s occupants are still watching the scene unabashedly, while many more quickly glance away as Touka’s gaze sweeps over them. Her shoulders stiffen.

 

    “Whatever. Deal with these rowdy idiots. I’m going to talk to the manager.”

 

    “Oi! Don’t leave me with all the work, dumbass!” He yells after her, but Touka walks behind the counter then out of sight. The man—Nishiki—groans. “Damn woman, always dumping everything on me…”

 

    “Nishio-senpai!” Hide speaks up. “It’s been a hot minute, buddy! How’s it going?”

 

    “Shut up, Nagachika,” Nishiki says with a roll of his eyes. “Look, you’re here about Kaneki, right?”

 

    Tsukune’s busy fretting over Kurumu, whose cheek is starting to bruise blue. He doesn’t even hear Nishiki. Yukari hovers by them, shooting apprehensive glances at the newcomer.

 

    “Yes,” Moka speaks up, and Nishiki turns to her with raised eyebrows, as if he only just noticed her existence. “We’re trying to find Kaneki-san.”

 

    “And who are _you_?” Nishiki asks, a derisive turn to his lips as he takes in her long pink hair and short dress.

 

    “This is Akashiya Moka,” Hide says. “She’s a friend of Tsukune’s that wants to help with finding Kaneki.”

 

    “I would like to help, Nishiki-san,” Moka says, staring intently into the waiter’s eyes. He fidgets, unnerved. “If you have any information on Kaneki-san’s whereabouts, it would be much appreciated.”

 

    “I don’t know where he is.” Nishiki tilts his head, averting his gaze. “But knowing him, he’s fine. Probably just off somewhere reading a book or something.”

 

    Moka frowns. “But Kaneki’s missing. If he hasn’t contacted anyone, he’s likely in danger.” _Or dead_ , Moka doesn’t say.

 

    The redhead grimaces and looks to the ceiling, as if this conversation is too troublesome for him. “Kaneki’s gotten into a lot of shit, but he’s always gotten out of it, too.”

 

    The vampire scowls at him. “Kaneki-san could be detained or hurt somewhere!”

 

    “Or he’s off doing his own thing,” the infuriating human says with a shrug.

 

    Moka grits her teeth and she feels her inner self reflecting her feelings. Hide laughs awkwardly in an attempt to ease the tension.

 

    “Either way, we wanna find him,” Hide says. “He’s my best friend, so I want to make sure he’s okay with my own eyes.”

 

    Nishiki looks between the blond human radiating hope and the pink-haired vampire scowling at him and sighs heavily. He runs a hand through his hazelnut hair. “Okay, look, there isn’t much I can tell you.”

 

    Hide perks up.

 

    Nishiki moves closer to them, his voice pitched low. “I don’t know where he is now, but I saw him a few weeks ago.”

 

    Moka gasps, eyes widening. “What happened to him? Why is he still missing?”

 

    “I have no fucking clue what happened to him, but he’s fine. He _chose_ to go off and do some shit under the radar, that’s why he hasn’t come back.”

 

    Moka is shocked—she never considered the possibility that Kaneki  _ran away_ —but when she glances to Hide… he looks grim, but not surprised. As if this confirms his suspicions.

 

    “That’s all I’ve got for you,” Nishiki says, stepping back. “You’re a perceptive little creep, Nagachika, you should be able to figure the rest out.”

 

    Before either can say anything, another newcomer speaks. “Nishiki-kun? Who are—”

 

    The russet-haired woman that had been watching the news now stood behind Nishiki, blinking at them. Then a broad smile bloomed on her face.

 

    “Hide-kun! How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

 

    Hide looks to Nishiki. “See, _that’s_ how you’re supposed to greet someone.”

 

    The waiter sneers.

 

    The woman giggles at them both, moving closer so she stands next to Nishiki. “It’s so good to see you. Oh? Who’s your friend?”

 

    Moka smiles at the woman as best she can—this human, at least, seems nice—and introduces herself. The woman returns the favor.

 

    “My name is Nishino Kimi,” she says with a small bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Moka-san.”

 

    Moka’s smile grows a bit more genuine, but Nishiki groans and turns away.

 

    “C’mon, Kimi, we have stuff to do.”

 

    “You mean each other?” Hide puts in with waggling eyebrows. Kimi and Moka blush. Nishiki glares.

 

    “Can it, Nagachika. Let’s go, Kimi.”

 

    “Sorry about him,” Kimi says with another smile, cheeks still flushed pink. “I was very nice to meet you, Moka-san. And nice to see you, Hide-kun. Would you say hello to Tsukune for me?”

 

    Moka frowns, ready to tell the woman that Tsukune’s right behind them, when she sees what’s going on.

 

    Kurumu has Tsukune very preoccupied as she rubs herself all over him—something feral in Moka _growls_ —and Yukari is no help as she hangs over his shoulders. The little witch grins and pulls at Tsukune’s red cheeks as the succubus makes advances on Tsukune under the pretense of getting comfort.

 

    Moka stalks forward to end this. Tsukune doesn’t look comfortable at all, they should stop, and she doesn’t want Kurumu’s breasts so close to Tsukune’s face—

 

    The vampire is so absorbed with prying her friends away from her love interest that she doesn’t see the pensive look on Hide’s face as he watches Nishiki leave. She doesn’t watch as something wretched flashes through his eyes before being hidden away from the world.

 

    Hide is  _thinking_.

* * *

 

    There are whispers among the ghouls of a man on a warpath, killing every ghoul that stands in his way. They say he is a cannibal, a _kakuja_ , and that no one is safe.

 

    Some worry and sequester themselves away where such a man could not find them. They spread the rumors and stay in the shadows of Tokyo’s underbelly. They scurry away like rats.

 

    Some dismiss the dramatic gossiping, either as hearsay or believing they’re strong enough to take on a kakuja. They think that they are the top dogs, and some new upstart won’t be able to compete with them, let alone endanger them.

 

    There are the ones who watch. Wait. Eager to see what the cannibal does next.

 

    Then, there are those few who shiver in glee and prepare, prepare, prepare.

  
    ( _For what?_ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Touka (and Nishiki) are obviously not humans, but Moka doesn't know that.
> 
> Touka's kinda pissed off at Kaneki right now, so she's rightfully pretty grumpy. Poor girl. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think of this chapter : )


	4. Ostracize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaneki has some anxiety issues. And a lot of other issues. 
> 
> Hide is far too smart for his own good and poor Tsukune is about to have a rough time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I love responding to your guys' comments. I'd also feel rude if I don't respond, but doing that makes it look like I have double the comments I actually have, and then I feel like a faker. So I'm kind of conflicted about that. Thoughts?
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Ostracize (_ os _-tr uh-sahyz): to exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc. _

 

   Kaneki is slipping.  
  
    No one has said a thing, but everyone can see it. It’s in the glint in his eyes and the horrible _pop_ of his fingers. It’s in the empty smile he shows the world and way his head tilts when he kills. Kaneki is on the brink of something, and he won’t be able to keep his balance much longer.

    Even that bastard Tsukiyama has grown worried for him, in that twisted way of his. He’s been lingering too long before leaving, his eyes no longer shining with bloodlust and hunger. The purple-haired psycho has even confided in Hinami, wanting to find a way to help Kaneki.  
  
    Banjou feels as if he’s witnessing the fragile moments before a car crash or a bomb going off. A catastrophe waiting to happen.  
  
    Or, as Kaneki would say, a tragedy.  
  
    Tired and despairing, Banjou watches the man he promised to protect fall apart. Protecting him is impossible when there is no enemy to shield him from. Banjou cannot defend Kaneki from his very mind, no matter how much he wishes he can.  
  
    ‘ _He’s a good person_ ,’ Banjou thinks, clenching his fists on his lap. ‘ _He doesn’t deserve all of this. If only I was stronger and protected him before he…’_  
  
    Banjou despises Aogiri Tree, perhaps even more than Kaneki himself does. Those cruel bastards killed his friends ( _Moku, Tetsu, Kei, Kouto…_ ) and broke one of the people Banjou admires most. Banjou has no idea what happened to Kaneki while he was held prisoner by Yamori (though he can guess based on the reputation of the 13th’s Jason) but whatever it was, it mutilated Kaneki’s soul. Whatever it was, it made a kind, quiet boy resort to mass murder.  
  
    ( _What did they do to you?_ )  
  
    “Uh, Banjou-san?”  
  
    Banjou’s head jerks up, and he finally notices Jiro a few inches from his face.  
  
    “GAH!” He flails backward. “What the— _Why_?”  
  
    Despite the gasmask covering the entirety of Jiro’s face, she still manages to look unimpressed. “I think you should do something about Kaneki-san.”  
  
    “Huh?”  
  
    Jiro glances behind her, then back at Banjou. “He’s not calming down.”  
  
    Perched on a nearby couch, Ichimi adds, “You have a better shot at getting him to chill than we do.”  
  
    Banjou tilts to look around Jiro, then winces.  
  
    “Yeah, I see what you mean.”  
  
    The white-haired half-ghoul is pacing jerkily on the other side of the apartment, one hand cracking his knuckles finger by finger and the other clutching his phone. He’s barefoot and dressed in casual clothing, fresh from his shower to clean off all the blood from the ghouls he killed last night. Hinami sits by him, her head turning back and forth as Kaneki paces past her. Their youngest ghoul looks understandably troubled.  
  
    Banjou stands and walks toward Kaneki, hearing his three subordinates/friends patter behind him.  
  
    Despite the distress seen in his movements, Kaneki’s face is eerily blank. His eyes are both unfocused yet somehow sharp, his lips pressed into a neutral line. Another crack of Kaneki’s fingers, and the half-ghoul whirls around again as he continues his pacing.  
  
    “Hey, uh, Kaneki?” Banjou moves slowly, feeling more like he’s approaching a lion rather than a short young man.  
  
    Grey eyes flashing, Kaneki’s eyes zero in on Banjou own brown with frightening intensity.  
  
    ‘ _Yeah, Kaneki really isn’t doing too well right now,_ ’ he thinks, a touch amused and a lot sad.  
  
    “Hey,” Banjou repeats, raising a hand awkwardly. “You doing okay, Kaneki? You look a bit stressed.”  
  
    A moment staring, then grey eyes glance to the trio hovering behind Banjou then back again. Recognition alights in his them, and Kaneki’s shoulders loosen.  
  
    “Banjou-san,” Kaneki says with a touch of confusion. “I’m fine. Is something wrong?”  
  
    “No, nothing! It’s just, well, you look like you have something on your mind, the way you were pacing.”  
  
    “Pacing?”  
  
    “Did something happen, onii-chan?” Hinami asks from behind the half-ghoul, worried doe eyes trained on the back of his head.  
  
    Kaneki turns to give her what he seems to think is a reassuring smile. It’s not. “Sorry to worry you, Hinami-chan, Banjou-san. I was just…”  
  
    The half-ghoul looks down at his phone. His eyebrows knit together and his mouth purses.  
  
    “Tsukune is back. I’m worried about him being in Tokyo with all that’s been going on.”  
  
    Hinami gets up, racing over to grab her brother figure’s empty hand. Kaneki starts at her sudden movement but doesn’t pull away as he would most others. “Tsukune-san is here? Didn’t he leave for a private school?”  
  
    Behind Banjou, Sante whispers, “Um, who is Tsukune, again?”  
  
    His siblings shrug.  
  
    Banjou is equally clueless. He’s never heard of a ‘Tsukune’ before. Maybe he’s another member of Anteiku? But a ghoul attending a private school sounds like a recipe for disaster.  
  
    “It must be summer break. Hide—” Kaneki’s face scrunches up in what looks like pain, “texted me.”  
  
    The brown-haired girl smiles up at Kaneki. “We should go see them! You must really miss them, onii-chan.”  
  
    Kaneki flinches. “N-no. We can’t go see them. It’s too dangerous.”  
  
    Hinami frowns. “But Tsukune-san and Hide-san are human, right, onii-chan?”  
  
    Kaneki nods, and Banjou’s brows furrow. Humans? Why would Kaneki be friends with humans? It’s far too risky. Friends are the ones you spend the most time with, making them the ones most likely to figure out that you’re a ghoul. And the humans would undoubtedly report you to the CCG, handing over information a friend would know. Like your favorite places and what hobbies to exploit. Like who your other friends are so that the CCG can kill as many ghouls as possible.  
  
    “That’s why we can’t go,” Kaneki goes on. “Humans, especially civilians like them, are fragile, Hinami-chan. They wouldn’t survive being caught in the crossfire of powerful ghouls. And if other ghouls found out their ties to me… the last thing I want is Aogiri after them.”  
  
    Hinami nods sadly, looking down. “I understand. That’s why you’re worried, right? You’re afraid Tsukune-san and Hide-san will be in danger.”  
  
    “Yes.”  
  
    “Kaneki?” Banjou speaks up. The half-ghoul looks to him. “Who is Tsukune?”  
  
    Any emotion that leaked onto Kaneki’s face is gone in an instant, leaving him with fathomless grey eyes. Another crack of his fingers and Kaneki stares into space.  
  
    “My little brother.”  

* * *

     Tsukune is awake, and it’s two in the morning.  
  
    A frantic worry that’s accompanied him for the last few days flutters in his chest, keeping him wide awake despite the lethargy pulling at him. Something in him is spinning around and around, a constant spiral of _nii-san could be dead I need to find him what happened I’m scared don’t be dead I need to find him_. The worries won’t allow him to sleep, even as his eyelids droop and his body begs for rest. He can’t sleep when he could be _doing something_. Why isn’t he doing something, again?  
  
    He lies on the futon Hide had provided him, staring at the plain ceiling of the older boy’s living room. Soft snuffles and snores come from both sides of him, where his monster friends are curled up on their own futons. Kurumu and Moka lean toward him in their deep sleep but thankfully don’t hold onto him. Tsukune is too panicky to stand being held in place.  
  
    Yukari rests on Moka’s futon, clutching her wand even in sleep. There’s a small frown on her face. She doesn’t feel safe in the human world, even now.  
  
    Tsukune needs to find his brother. Where does he start, though? The police won’t be any help, according to Hide, and going to Anteiku proved fruitless. There are no leads, no suspects, nothing. What could Tsukune possibly do?  
  
    The dark-haired boy sits up, hands at his temples.  
  
    He could wander around asking after his brother, but that might prove dangerous with the ghoul activity lately. And if it’s a ghoul that took Kaneki, how on earth would Tsukune go about finding him? He’s no match for a ghoul, and while his friends may be, he doesn’t want to risk them getting _eaten_. So what? What can he do?  
  
    “Tsukune.”  
  
    The borderline-hysterical boy opens his eyes— _when had he closed them?_ —to see Hide leaning down above him. His expression is grave, the kind of face he makes when he’s going to announce something no one will like.  
  
    “Hide?”  
  
    “I want to talk to you,” Hide’s sharp brown eyes flick to the monsters then back to Tsukune. “Alone.”  
  
    Tsukune’s brows furrow, but he obediently stands up, careful not to jostle the girls. Hide turns and walks toward the kitchen. Tsukune follows.  
  
    Despite how small Hide’s kitchen is, it’s well-stocked. The cabinets are packed with all sorts of junk food and branded cereals, colorful and unhealthy. The blond snatches two small bags of chips from one of them.  
  
    “Want one?” Hide asks, holding out one bag of chips. Tsukune nods, and Hide throws it to him.  
  
    “What’s going on, Hide?” Tsukune asks as he catches the plastic package with little finesse. Hide leans against the counter and tears open his bag. “Is this about nii-san?”  
  
    “Tsukune.” Hide pops a chip in his mouth. “What are those girls?”  
  
    Tsukune freezes mid-tear, his bag half-opened.  
  
    There is no way Hide could have figured out that his friends aren’t human, no way. His brother’s best friend may be an observant person (creepily so), but even he isn’t that good. How could he know, though? Is this some test? Does Hide think his friends are ghouls? Tsukune clutches his bag at the thought, chips crunching inside.  
  
    What if Hide called the CCG on them? Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari aren’t ghouls, but what if they figured out that they’re monsters? What would that mean for them, for all monsters on that matter? What will happen if monsters are exposed? Will they be hunted down like the ghouls just for existing?  
  
    Tsukune mentally shakes himself, trying to calm down and think rationally like his ever-composed brother. He already knew that Hide couldn’t know his friends are monsters, so what could he mean by that question? Maybe he meant their occupations? Or could it be their relationship to Tsukune?  
  
    ‘ _That must be it!_ ’ Tsukune thinks, relief rushing through him. Hide must have the wrong idea about his friends. They are all attractive females after all—Tsukune blushes—and Hide did make a joke about him having a harem. Hide is probably asking what they are to Tsukune.  
  
    The college student watches closely as every thought passes through Tsukune’s head, and the teen curses himself. Hide couldn’t know, but he’ll get suspicious if Tsukune reacts too strangely to his innocuous question.  
  
    Tsukune smiles, hoping it doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “They’re just my friends, Hide. No need to be worried.”  
  
    Hide’s dark eyes don’t leave Tsukune’s, his face expressionless as he reaches into his bag. Tsukune fidgets.  
  
    Another chip popped in his mouth, Hide says, “That’s not what I’m talking about. _What_ are they?”  
  
    Icy fear laces down Tsukune’s spine. _Oh no_.  
  
    Hide looks to the threshold separating the kitchen from the living room. “I knew this school of yours was weird, Tsukune, but I didn’t think it’d be _this_ weird. I’ve tried doing some digging on Yokai, but I can’t hack into their system, and it seems no one has even heard of it. I thought maybe it was a school for spies—that’d be _so_ cool—but then you came home with those girls.”  
  
    Tsukune looks at the ground, trying to stop his hands from trembling. “I-It’s not—”  
  
    The blond continues, undeterred. “For one thing, they’d make horrible spies with that bright hair and cutesy clothes. Maybe they could do infiltration, but having such memorable features wouldn’t do them any favors. Also, they’re very loud.”  
  
    The dark-haired teen looks up to scowl at Hide. “Just because they aren’t spies doesn’t mean they aren’t human, Hide! Stop being ridiculous!”  
  
    “Ya got me there,” Hide concedes. “But why all the secrecy then? They could be uber-rich or something, but then how did _you_ manage to get in there? You guys are far from rich, and your mom probably wouldn’t spend a bunch of money to send you to a fancy school.”  
  
    ‘ _Mom. Did she even miss me?_ ’ The thought comes unbidden. It’s tucked away in the dark corners of his mind before Tsukune can dwell on it too deeply.  
  
    “So there had to be another reason. I wondered if maybe it was a school for ghouls or something, but then I wondered how you—a human—could survive surrounded by adolescent man-eaters. I dismissed that theory until I met your friends.”  
  
    Hide grabs another handful of chips and continues to talk between bites. “They kept referring to people outside the academy as ‘humans,’ which was  _really_ weird at first, by the way. Then you or the others would panic and cut in. That wasn’t all that stealthy, my friend.”  
  
    Tsukune’s face heats up, but he continues to stare at the tiled floor silently.  
  
    “So, I thought they were ghouls for a good minute before I started talking about recent events around here. Maybe they are better actors than they seem, but man did those girls look freaked out when I mentioned the Cochlea breakout. Maybe some of the more peaceful ghouls would be scared by that, but I don’t think that’s why. My intuition is telling me there are others players I don’t know about here, ones that can completely hide their existence from the rest of the world. So, I’m curious, what are they?”  
  
    Tsukune had known that Hide was perceptive and eerily intelligent. It was hard not to see when you’ve watched the guy pick apart everyone around him like they’re easily unraveled knots. But this…  
  
    Tsukune is scared of Hide.  
  
    Another moment passes, and Hide sighs. He throws his now-empty bag of chips on the counter and ruffles his blonde hair. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out, Tsu. It’s just—well. You know how I get when I’m given a mystery. I can’t help myself.”  
  
    “You didn’t tell anyone,” Tsukune says quietly, “did you?”  
  
    “Of course not!” Hide puffs up, offended. “That's straight-up rude, my dude! That’d also take the fun away from everything if I just let someone else find out all their secrets.”  
  
    The teen shivers, wrapping his arms around his abused bag of chips. “So no one knows? Not even the CCG?”  
  
    “I didn’t tell anyone. But you and your friends will have to be more careful if you want to keep their secrets secret. I’m not the only person that likes a good mystery, you know. And a lot of people wouldn’t react as well as I did.”  
  
    Tsukune remembers the cold-eyed investigator on the bus and wonders what he’d do. Would the investigators  _rip_ his friends apart like they did ghouls?  
  
    “C’mon, dude, don’t keep me in suspense like this! What are they? Are they, like, vampires or werewolves or something? That’d be _awesome_ . Or what about mermaids?”  
  
    Of all the responses Tsukune could have to this, he monotonously says, “They don’t have tails.”  
  
     “I know that! It’s just—maybe they can turn into mermaids at will, or when they touch water, or something. I saw a show about that once. Or maybe they’re, like, some other kind of man-eater or something—”  
  
    “Hide!”  
  
    “Oh c’mon, man. You’ve gotta admit, though cannibalism is gross and all, it’s kinda badass.”  
  
    “ _No, it is not!_ ”  
  
    “Oh, I know, what about shape-shifting dragons?”  
  
    “Oh my god…” Tsukune rubs his forehead, all worry forgotten. He should have known this is how Hide would react to the information that his friends aren’t human. No fear or hatred—just relentless curiosity and bad jokes.  
  
    “I can do this all night. You should just tell me, Tsukune, or I’ll keep guessing.”  
  
    “Fine!” Tsukune throws his arms in the air, the crushed bag of chips falling to the floor with a pitiful crumpling noise. “I’ll tell you, okay? Just don’t tell anyone else, seriously, Hide!”  
  
    Hide punches a fist in the air. “You got it, buddy! Now tell me, did I get it? Are they some cool movie monsters or something?”  
  
    Tsukune doesn’t want to encourage Hide anymore, but he’s eventually going to figure it out anyway. And he has a built-in lying detector, apparently.  
  
    “They’re all different kinds of monsters,” Tsukune starts, hoping the Chairman won’t flay him for this. “Yukari-chan is a witch—”  
  
    “I didn’t even think of that!” Hide places a hand thoughtfully on his chin. “That makes sense, though. I can see how people that can do magic could manage to hide their existence for so long. Oh, yeah, and then there were those witch trials—”  
  
    “Please don’t mention that around Yukari-chan,” Tsukune near-pleads. “It’s kind of a sore subject. Okay, so, Kurumu-chan is a succubus—”  
  
  
    “What.”  
  
    “And Moka-san is—”  
  
    “Oh no no no no no.” Hide holds up a hand. “A succubus? As in seductress of the night? As in demon who screws guys when they’re sleeping?”  
  
    “NO!” Tsukune shouts then lowers his voice again to a whisper when he remembers that the girls are sleeping in the room over. “I don’t know about the others, but Kurumu-chan isn’t like that. She’s really nice, and she would never do something like that.”  
  
    His brother’s best friend looks doubtful. “Tsukune, are you a virgin?”  
  
    Tsukune chokes.  
  
    “Cuz that succubus totally has the hots for you. And don’t they draw power from sex or something? You are way too young for that sort of mischief, my young friend.”  
  
    “N-no, I haven’t—I’m not a—”  
  
    “You need to be careful, Tsukune!” Hide flies forward to grab Tsukune’s shoulders, staring into his eyes fiercely. “Don’t you remember what happened to your brother, my bestie, a few years back? He nearly got crushed to death on his first date! And a date with a succubus… I don’t want you to lose your kidneys, Tsu.”  
  
    “Wha—my kidneys? Are you—Hide, you have this all wrong” The dark-haired teen pries off Hide’s hands. “Kurumu-chan and I are just friends, and…”  
  
    His cheeks heat up, unwanted images coming to mind. “I’m a virgin, okay?”  
  
    Hide stares intently into Tsukune’s brown eyes, searching for any hint of deception with a dead-serious face. Then he nods. “Okay, good. Just be careful, Tsukune. I’m not saying don’t ever date her—she’s quite the looker. Totally out of your league, honestly. But don’t go too fast, and make sure she doesn’t kill you, okay?”  
  
    Tsukune is offended. “Kurumu-chan would never do that, Hide! And I told you, I’m not in any relationship with her.”  
  
    The blond waves a hand. “Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say. Now, what about your pink-haired friend? Moka, right?”  
  
    The teen glares at him for a moment, suspicious and indignant, before moving on. “Moka-san is a vampire.”  
  
    “Oh man, I was totally joking about the vampire thing. Really? So is she like a ghoul without the flesh-eating part?”  
  
    “No! Moka-san is nothing like a ghoul, Hide! She’s very kind, and she doesn’t like to—”  
  
    “But she does suck blood, right?”  
  
    “I mean, yeah, but—”  
  
    “So a ghoul without the flesh-eating part.” Hide nods to himself. “Got it.”  
  
    “No, Hide!”  
  
    “It makes me wonder though, how these guys—"monsters"—have managed to stay hidden for so long. Magic, I guess, but it’s just… weird. I doubt all monsters, however many kinds there are, could all use magic to hide themselves. So why are only ghouls well-known?”  
  
    Tsukune has never, _never_ thought about that before. Ghouls are scary, and they eat humans, but… Tsukune has seen a lot of terrifying monsters since he first started attending Yokai. His very first day he was confronted with Saizou, who was cruel, horrifying in appearance, and saw both humans and females as toys to use and discard. Then there were the mermaids of the swimming club, Ishigami-sensei, and the Public Safety Commision. Those monsters cared little for the lives of others, be they monster or human. They only care about themselves and their goals, and any who impede them are eliminated.  
  
    With all of those vicious, sadistic monsters in mind… Relatively, how bad are ghouls actually? They murder and defile and deceive, but at least they have a reason for that. Ghouls  _have_ to feed off humans to survive, and they are hunted every day of their lives by a massive organization. They, at least, have an excuse for being ruthless and monstrous. But those monsters?  
  
    Those monsters are cruel without any pushing or pressure. They kill for pleasure and convenience, not to survive another day. So why are ghouls excluded from their world? It makes no sense.  
  
    “Tsukune.”  
  
    He crawls out of the hole his dark thoughts had created in his mind and focuses on Hide once again. He looks grim.  
  
    “I don’t trust them,” he says bluntly. “They seem nice, but I can’t trust them, not with anything important.”  
  
    “Hide?”  
  
    The older human picks Tsukune’s discarded bag from the ground, laying it on the counter. He stays there for a moment, his back turned to Tsukune.  
  
    “I have a lot of stuff I need to tell you about, but I can’t trust those girls to keep this a secret. So you can’t share this with them, okay?”  
  
    “What is it?” A heavy foreboding settles over Tsukune. “Why can’t they know?"  
  
    Hide walks out of the kitchen, gesturing for Tsukune to follow. He does, frowning.  
  
    Down the hall and to the left, Hide opens his bedroom door with little pause, flicking on the lights.  
  
    Tsukune only makes it a step before he freezes.  
  
    “It’s about Kaneki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger, I just wanted to get this out for you guys and finishing this scene would take a while to write. So I decided to cut the scene in half so you guys actually have something! I'll try not to take too long on the next chapter, I know well how painful cliffhangers can be.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please share your thoughts : )


	5. Elucidate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The angst is real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! I'll try not to leave off on a cliffhanger like last time.

_Elucidate (ih-_ loo _-si-deyt): to give a clarifying explanation, to make lucid or clear, to shed light on_  
  
  
  
    “What the…” Tsukune is frozen, unable to move in his shock. 

  
    The sight of Hide’s wall would make the most manic of conspiracy theorists envious. 

  
    The wall behind Hide’s bed is covered in cut out newspaper articles, wanted posters, photos, and post-it notes, so much so that Tsukune can’t tell the color of the wall’s paint. Its structure is chaotic, and there seems to be little pattern or method to it. Red yarn twines all the papers together, its pathway unfathomable and only serves to make the whole thing even more confusing. Tsukune can’t even begin to comprehend it at first; there’s too much information on the wall, too much to look at and wonder about. Just the thought of reading, much less _creating_ , something like this is overwhelming. It’s just _too muc_ h. 

  
    It takes Tsukune a good minute to focus well enough to actually begin to examine the many, many papers. Hide watches him silently, his arms crossed and face blank. 

  
    The lower left corner of the wall seems to be dedicated to newspaper and printed out articles, the majority of them pertaining to ghouls. Other pockets of ghoul sightings dot the wall. 

  
    ‘ _Ghouls. Hide got a job at the CCG to get more information on them. That means they definitely played some part in_ nii _-san’s disappearance._ ’ 

  
    The articles—MURDER AT LOCAL SCHOOL, GHOULS MIGRATE TO 8TH WARD, GHOUL TAKES WOMAN’S EYES—are in turn connected by the red yarn to separate wanted posters. The last one relates to ‘The Gourmet,’ along with many others of a similar theme. GHOUL INVESTIGATOR KILLED IN 20TH is matched with a mad-eyed man, a grim-faced investigator, and wanted ghouls called ‘ _Rabbit_ ,’ ‘ _Daughter Ghoul_ ,’ and ‘ _Eyepatch_.’ And Eyepatch… 

  
    The majority of the wall of clues somehow connects to Eyepatch; the center of it all, apparently. The wanted poster details him as a young man of about 170 centimeters (~5’7 feet) usually dressed in black clothing. Though the poster claims his hair is a stark white, the ghoul is noted to be in his early 20s. A red string leads to a post-it reading ‘ _White hair_ ’, which in turn connects to another two post-its: ‘ _Dye?_ ’ and ‘ _Marie Antoinette Syndrome?_ ’ The former connects to another wanted poster of a ghoul called ‘ _The 13th’s Jason_ ,’ which leads to multiple articles detailing especially grisly murders. Also connected is a post-it simply reading ‘ _Aogiri Tree’_. And so it goes on. 

  
    None of it makes any sense to Tsukune. None of it. 

  
    “Hide… what is all this?” Tsukune tears his gaze from the wall to stare incredulously at Hide. The blond’s face remains unchanged. 

  
    “As I said before, Tsukune, I’m a curious guy. I like mysteries.” 

  
    “That doesn’t explain… _this_.” Tsukune gestures to the wall, something that may be hysteria building up in his chest. It’s been a long night. Or, well, morning. 

  
    Hide shrugs, finally looking away from Tsukune to admire his wall of clues. “I’ve always thought ghouls were the biggest mystery around, at least until I learned about your friends. I mean, no one knows how ghouls came to be, or why they have to survive solely on human flesh. They’re a complete mystery to everyone outside the CCG, and even _they_ don’t know all that much about ghouls. Then there’s the fact that most of them have learned how to play human to hide in our society. That opens up a whole other can of worms—is that person a ghoul? What about that celebrity? What about that child? What if there are organizations run by ghouls? What if there are ghouls within the _CCG_? What if your _closest friend_ is a ghoul?” 

  
    Tsukune moves to sit on Hide’s bed, no longer feeling like he has the strength to stand and take in all this information. “I don’t understand. Why are you showing this to me, Hide? You said… you said this was about nii-san.” 

  
    “I’m getting there, buddy,” Hide reassures him. Tsukune does not feel reassured. “So, I like tracking suspicious people. I mean, who knows what kind of secrets they’re hiding? And—” 

  
    “Hide, that's dangerous!” Tsukune snaps. “What if that person you’re following is a murderer? Or a _ghoul?_ ” 

  
    “Hit the nail on the head, buddy.” 

  
    Tsukune’s heart skips a beat. 

  
    “One time, about six weeks back, I tagged this really shady-looking man. He was dressed in a fancy suit and had this creepy lizard face, walking around with some weirdo wearing every color of the rainbow. He also gave me a really bad vibe.” 

  
    “That normally means you shouldn’t mess with him.” Tsukune rubs his temples, annoyance and worry fighting for dominance within him. 

  
     “No, that means he’s an even better target!” Hide says wisely, holding up a finger. Tsukune glares. “I followed this guy for a while, all the way to the 11th ward.” 

  
    “The 11th ward?” Tsukune exclaims, appalled. “That place is basically run by ghouls, Hide! Why would you go there? You could have been eaten or something!” 

  
    Hide laughs awkwardly, scratching his cheek. “Yeeeaaahhhh, I kinda got that a little too late. Once I realized I was pretty much surrounded by ghouls—” 

  
    “What?!” 

  
    “—I stole some clothes off a dead ghoul to cover my scent—” 

  
    “It was just lying around?!” 

  
    “—and got the hell outta dodge. Don’t worry; they didn’t even notice me. No way I would have left alive if they did, haha!” 

  
     “That’s not something to laugh about!” 

  
    “Chill, man. I’m okay,” Hide says. Then his face goes grim. “That’s not the important bit, though. The thing is, Tsukune, I tagged this guy just before he entered Anteiku.” 

  
    Tsukune’s stomach twists, and he wraps his arms around it. He feels sick. “Anteiku?” 

  
    “Yeah,” Hide nods, then looks at his wall. It’s too crowded for Tsukune to pinpoint where he’s looking, but it seems to be one of the wanted posters. “And that was also the day Kaneki disappeared.” 

  
    “Are you saying,” Tsukune pauses, darkness at the edges of his vision, “that this ghoul took nii-san?” 

  
    “That’s what all the information I’ve gathered points to,” Hide says, sitting next to Tsukune on the bed. He pats the younger human’s back when he rattles a shaky breath. “I know, it sounds really bad, but I’m sure Kaneki’s still alive.” 

  
    “How can you be sure?” Tsukune whispers, gruesome images being painted in his mind. His brother, brutally eviscerated, his insides spilling onto the concrete as he cries for help. Kaneki, head lopped off and kept as a trophy while the rest of him digests in some ghoul's stomach. His nii-san, dead and alone and broken, a scream frozen on his bloody lips. “How can you _know?_ ” 

  
    Hide stares at him solemnly, eyes knowing as the worst scenarios flicker through Tsukune’s mind like an old movie reel. The blond grabs Tsukune’s shoulder tightly, and says, “You were busy at the time, but do you remember how Moka and I were talking with Nishio-senpai?” 

  
    Tsukune breathes shakily, then nods. 

  
    “Well, he saw Kaneki after that ghoul took him.” 

  
    “What?” Tsukune’s head snaps up. “He saw nii-san? Where?! Was he okay?!” 

  
    “Nishio-senpai says he’s fine,” Hide says. “He wasn’t clear about why Kaneki hasn’t come back yet, but… well, I have a few theories.” 

  
    A hand clutches his white t-shirt, just over Tsukune’s heart. It beats wildly, but the fog that clouded Tsukune’s mind lifts. “Tell me.” 

  
    Hide smirks. “I thought you’d never ask!” 

  
    With a final pat on the back, Hide crawls over his bed to his crowded wall, then stands. 

  
    “Ever since I got that job at the CCG, I’ve been spending most of my time looking through their records,” Hide says, a finger tapping the post-it labeled ' _CCG_ '. “Which is very illegal by the way, so don’t tell anyone about that either.” 

  
    “You’re just a grunt, though, right?” Tsukune asks, skeptical. He eyes Hide, hand still fisted over his heart. 

  
    “Are you doubting my researching abilities? I think you’re doubting my researching abilities. For shame, Tsukune!” Hide cries. When Tsukune gives little reaction other then his eyes narrowing, Hide moves on with little fanfare. “Yeah, I’m just a paper pusher, but you’d be amazed what investigators will spill when they think you’re just another human civilian. I even made a friend out of one of the Rank 2 Investigators!” 

  
    Hide taps a printed-out profile, no doubt banned from public viewing and found via Hide’s “hacking skills”. It pictures a young man with fluffy brown hair and a hesitant smile. He’s labeled as ‘ _Takizawa Seidou_.’ 

  
    “He’s really nice, but he tends to give away too much information,” Hide says with a sheepish smile. “Perfect for spying! He indirectly provided most of the information I have on the Gourmet, who I think is somehow connected to Kaneki.” 

  
    Tsukune looks back to the article claiming he stole a woman’s eyes. “Um. Why?” 

  
    “Many reasons, buddy, many reasons.” And, apparently, that’s all Tsukune’s getting, as Hide moves on to his next clue. 

  
    “Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time Kaneki’s gotten tangled up with ghouls.” 

  
    “What? How?” His kind, quiet older brother, in trouble with ghouls? He can’t see it. 

  
    “Shocking, right? You’d think a bookworm like him would attract less attention.” Hide moves on to another section. “See these posters? I think these ghouls somehow got involved with Anteiku.” 

  
    Tsukune frowns. Anteiku. Why did all of this seem to lead back to Anteiku? What’s so special about a homey little coffee shop? 

  
    “Crazy, right? But I’ve seen people there who match the descriptions given. That and a lot of their activity is in the 20th ward, though never _too close_ to Anteiku.” 

  
    “That isn’t enough information, Hide.” Tsukune shakes his head, rubbing his temples in an attempt to nurse his burgeoning headache. “You can’t say Anteiku’s affiliated with ghouls when you have no proof.” 

  
    “It’s a theory, Tsukune, a _theory_. I’m making a lot of conjectures, yes, but I’m working with what I have. And don’t underestimate intuition, especially mine. Intuition is how you solve cases like this, when there’s little information to go on. Otherwise, you’d be stuck sitting around because there aren’t any clear answers.” 

  
    “Still…” 

  
    “Yeah, yeah, I know. Unlikely. I think I’m getting close, though. Now, look at this.” Hide moves over to another wanted poster. “‘The 13th’s Jason.’ The horror movie reject ghoul.” 

  
    A hockey mask is the only thing pictured on his poster. Tsukune still shudders. 

  
    “I’m, like, eighty percent sure this is the guy I tagged. Once again: he matches the description, and all the ghouls I came across seemed very scared of him. Which makes sense, as he’s an S-rated ghoul with a serious sadistic streak.” 

  
    Tsukune hopes desperately that this part of Hide’s theory is wrong. Because otherwise, that means his brother had to spend time around this terrible ghoul. He resolutely doesn’t think any more about that. 

  
    “The worst thing is, Jason’s a part of Aogiri Tree,” Hide says, a bit quieter. He glances over to see Tsukune’s confusion then scowls at the wall. “They’re the big bad of the ghoul world, according to what little I could dig up. And it took a lot of digging to find them, let me tell you. The CCG doesn’t want the public to know about them, because, well…” 

  
    “It means the ghouls are working together,” Tsukune finishes, a shiver going down his spine. “Just like you said. It’s not just small factions anymore. They’re organizing for war.” 

  
    ‘ _What could the ghouls do, if they all worked together?_ ’ The thought makes Tsukune’s hands tremble. ‘ _If they all teamed up…  we wouldn’t stand a chance_.’ 

  
    “Exactly,” Hide says, watching Tsukune’s thoughts morph his face into a grimace. “That’s why the CCG is keeping quiet about them, as much as they can anyway. Aogiri Tree is responsible for the Cochlea breakout, after all, so it’s been pretty hard for them to cover that one up. They have though; most of Tokyo’s population think the ghouls are still working mostly independently if being much more active than usual.” 

  
    “And Aogiri Tree… What do they have to do with nii-san?” 

  
    “Jason’s a part of Aogiri Tree,” Hide says bluntly. “And I’m certain that Kaneki was at their headquarters in the 11th Ward when he was first taken.” 

  
    Tsukune pushes the horrible conclusions he could make about that aside, instead asking, “You’re sure they’re in the 11th Ward? And you said at first. Did they take nii-san somewhere else?” 

  
    “I know Kaneki was in Aogiri Tree’s base in the 11th Ward because I sent the CCG there.” 

  
    Tsukune’s brows furrow. “Huh?” 

  
    “I sent an anonymous tip,” Hide clarifies. “I told them Aogiri was hanging out in the southwest part of the 11th Ward. They raided the place a week or so later.” 

  
    “You started a _ghoul raid_?” Tsukune asks, incredulous. 

  
    “Yep!” 

  
    The dark-haired teen takes a moment to process that, staring at Hide’s proud visage. Then he asks, “And nii-san?” 

  
    “Nishiki said he saw Kaneki after the raid. He wouldn’t give me details, but that means Kaneki probably escaped while Aogiri was attacked. Why he hasn’t come home, though, is a mystery.” 

  
    Tsukune sits, wondering what his big brother has been doing these last six weeks. He can’t imagine Kaneki doing anything other than reading or making coffee. 

  
    “Kaneki’s gotten mixed up in some serious stuff, Tsukune. As in ghoul serious stuff,” Hide says like Tsukune didn’t already know that. Hide scratches his cheek and sighs. “I don’t know how he got mixed up in all of this, but, well. You know Kaneki. He has that ‘it’s better to hurt than to hurt others’ thing going on. No doubt that’s how he got into this whole mess.” 

  
    Hide pauses, looking so very tired. “And that’s probably why he hasn’t come back. He doesn’t want to ‘endanger’ us, the idiot.” 

  
    Tsukune freezes. He stops. He thinks. 

  
    It makes sense that Kaneki wouldn’t want his friends and family targeted by his enemies. That doesn’t mean Tsukune likes this, however. No, Tsukune doesn’t like this at all. 

  
    “I’d rather know he’s _alive_ than _this_!” Tsukune yells, standing up. “You’re telling me he’s _letting us_ think he’s dead to _protect us_?” 

  
    Hide sighs again, leaning against his information-packed wall. “That’s about it.” 

  
    A frustrated snarl and Tsukune begins to pace. “I’d rather face danger than go on thinking he’s _dead and gone_. Doesn’t he understand that?!” 

  
    “Nope,” Hide adds helpfully. “He really, really doesn’t.” 

  
    “Argh!” Tsukune claws at his dark, matted hair, infuriated. “But why can’t he even send a text or an email or something?! Something like that won’t ‘endanger’ us. We just want to know that he’s _alive_. Dammit. This is all so stupid.” 

  
    “I hear ya.” Hide smiles weakly. “He’s an idiot. But he’s a living idiot if that makes it any better.” 

  
    Tsukune stops pacing, his anger quickly forgotten. 

  
    Alive. His big brother is alive. Not digested, not dead in a ditch, not torn to shreds. He’s okay. He’s out there somewhere, and he’s alive. 

  
    Tsukune collapses back onto the bed, dazed. The many emotions that have surged through him—fear, worry, trepidation, annoyance, terror, rage, relief—have left him strung-out and fragile. But that’s okay, because his brother is alive out there, somewhere. He’s in danger, neck-deep in ghoul business, but he’s living. He’s okay. 

  
    ( _Not for long_.) 

  
    “That was a lot, eh?” Hide chuckles a bit, standing next to Tsukune. “You should get some rest. It’s, like, three in the morning, dude.” 

  
    Tsukune says nothing. 

  
    “You can take my bed,” Hide says, gently pushing Tsukune into a lying position. “You need some good rest.” 

  
    “What about you?” 

  
    Hide shakes his head. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you in the morning—uh, well, I guess later.” 

  
    With that, the older human leaves his room, shutting the door behind him and flicking off the lights. Tsukune lies in the darkness, unable to conjure a single thought. He's just so tired. 

  
    Days of constant stress and worry and his newest flurry of emotions settled, Tsukune falls asleep immediately. 

  
    His last thought, strangely, is ‘ _Who is the Eyepatch ghoul, though? He’s the center of everything_.’ 

  
    It doesn’t matter, though. He will forget this question when morning comes. 

* * *

    Hide leans against the door to his room, listening as Tsukune’s breathing turns into soft snores. He waits a few more minutes, just to be sure his bestie’s little brother isn’t going to do something reckless. Then, he sighs heavily, pushing off the door and walking back down the hallway. 

  
    ‘ _Poor kid,_ ’ Hide thinks, huffing a humorless laugh. ‘ _He’s already on the verge of a breakdown, and then I drop this bombshell on him. Kaneki did always say I have absolutely no tact._ ’ 

  
    He smiles sadly at the thought of his best friend. It’s been six weeks, but it’s felt like _years_ to Hide. Because Hide knows that Kaneki went through something terrible while Hide just sat on the sidelines, useless. Well, not useless. He gave that tip to the CCG about Aogiri Tree, though he doesn’t know if that did any good at all. He didn’t stop his best friend from being kidnapped, and that’s unforgivable. 

  
    There was a tracking device on Jason’s shoe. He could have stopped him. He could have done something about Jason, instead of just watching as Kaneki was taken away. But he didn’t. 

  
    He _didn’t_. 

  
    Hide walks past the slumbering monsters (he’s going to do some serious research as soon as he can) and back to the kitchen. The blond nabs a whole box of sugary cereal, then hops onto the counter. Kaneki would have scolded him for it, claiming it was unhygienic to put his butt in the same place he puts food, but Kaneki isn’t here right now, is he? 

  
    A mouthful of cereal and all of Hide’s troubles fade away for a mere moment. Then he remembers what’s happening and nearly rolls his eyes at himself. Hide’s always had a bad habit of eating his problems away. His father used to say that the only reason Hide isn’t fat is because he’s always jumping around and being a hyper menace. It’s probably true, honestly. That, and a high metabolism. 

  
    Hide leans back against the cupboards (not the most comfortable, but what else is he to do? His bed’s been sacrificed in the name of goodwill) and sighs again. Even cereal can’t keep him from remembering the craziness that is his life; all of this insanity started when Kaneki became a ghoul. 

  
    Kaneki still doesn’t know. Hide didn’t want to bring it up, partially for his own safety (Touka is _scary_ ) but mostly for Kaneki’s sake. Though hiding his ghoul nature has been terrible for his blood pressure, Hide wanted (still wants) Kaneki to have some sense of normalcy. He wanted Kaneki to be able to just be human for a while, for him to feel like everything is truly okay. 

  
    It hasn’t turned out well for either of them. 

  
    Hide regrets it now, because maybe if he’d been clear that he knew and accepted that Kaneki is half-ghoul, he would trust his best friend enough to let him in. Maybe Kaneki would have told him what happened and where he is if Hide had opened up, instead of keeping secrets. But, the truth is, neither Kaneki nor Hide have been honest with each other, though this all would have been a hell of a lot easier if they had. 

  
    ( _Lies, lies, lies… When does it all end?_ ) 

  
    Now he’s repeating his mistakes all over again, only this time he’s hiding things from Tsukune, Kaneki’s little brother. 

  
    Tonight had been partially to inform Tsukune so he could “help” with finding Kaneki, but it was mostly to ease Hide’s conscience, just a little. He doesn’t want his lies leading to any more disaster, yet at the same time, he’s still playing his cards close to his chest. He’s still not letting anyone in, yet it feels logical in this situation. 

  
    Tsukune is volatile right now, his emotions on a hair trigger. Tonight was just a small dose of that. Hide was being careful with his words, but he still managed to set Tsukune off with his comment on Kaneki’s intentions. He’d exploded in anger when he learned Kaneki was alive but hiding from them. How would he react if he knew the truth? How would he react knowing his brother has been half-ghoul for two years and is now hunting other ghouls and generally being a vigilante? 

  
    Somehow, Hide doesn’t think that’d go over well. 

  
    Logically, it seems absurd and impossible to hide this secret forever, but Hide’s still hoping he can coax Kaneki back home before it comes to that. If he just came back with an altered story and apologies, Tsukune would probably just accept what was offered and returned to his monster school. Hide loves Tsukune like another brother (after Kaneki, of course) but at the same time… 

  
    Tsukune isn’t dumb, but he tends to take whatever he gets at face value. He’s too trusting, too sure that the people who love him would never lie to his face. If Kaneki came back with _any_ explanation that doesn’t sound ridiculous or foolhardy, Tsukune would undoubtedly believe him. He’s a good kid, but he isn’t the type of person Hide needs to be careful around. Unlike that other girl. 

  
    The succubus that has threatened dear Tsukune’s innocence is not like Tsukune or the vampire or the witch. She’s sharp under all that bluster, that blue hair hiding a shrewd mind that puts Hide on edge. Unlike those three, he doesn’t want that girl to have access to any information on Kaneki. He has no doubt she’d read through the lines, and put two and two together to come to a horrified four. 

  
    Who knows what she would do with the knowledge of Kaneki’s condition and alias. Hide knows nothing about monsters (something he plans to change posthaste) and he doesn’t know their relationship to ghouls. One of that secret society with crucial information on Kaneki… well, it goes without saying that he won’t let that happen. 

  
    So he’s on his own in this, just as he always has been. 

  
    Hide pulls out his phone, and anticipation still wells up in him after six weeks of radio silence. Any hopes are crushed for the umpteenth time. Of course, there are no messages from Kaneki; there haven’t been since he was taken. 

  
     _(It still hurts, every time he looks and sees nothing_.) 

  
    Hide types in the words he wants to say. 

  
**To Kaneki: I know about the whole thing with that girl two years ago. She was a ghoul, and you became one too. I don’t care. You’re still my best friend and I miss you. Please come home.**

  
    Hide stares at the message for a long time, wondering. Then he deletes it, never to be seen again. 

  
**To Kaneki: Whats too quiet, bookish, and incredibly rude**

  
**To Kaneki: You!**

  
    Hide stares for a moment, then hits send. 

  
    No answer. 

  
    A tired whisper in the dark. “Come home already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Why does a good deal of the Tokyo Ghoul fandom think Kaneki is short? I swear, nearly every TG fanfic I read mentions him as being short. Maybe it’s because he’s got four inches on me, but seriously! 5’7 is perfectly normal. He is of average height. Stahp!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think of this chapter.


	6. Subterfuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurumu is deeply suspicious and Kaneki still has many, many issues.

_Subterfuge (_ suhb _-ter-fyooj): deceit used in order to achieve one's goal_

 

   It’s somewhat ironic considering what she is, but there are few things Kurono Kurumu hates more than pretenders. Maybe it’s that she feels uneasy among those who wear disguises much more complicated than the human ones worn at the academy. Maybe it’s that she strives to be genuine in all her actions, especially when it concerns Tsukune. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because Kurumu knows how good of a liar she can be and is afraid of becoming a fraud, a fake _(like her mother_ ).

  
  
    Either way, the fact remains that she can’t stand those people who smile prettily and lie to your face, especially the ones who do it well.

  
  
    Kurumu has always been very good at spotting liars.

  
  
    And she knew the moment he first opened his mouth that Nagachika Hideyoshi was a _liar_.

  
  
    Even she does not fully understand it. Once the succubus saw that particular degree of his grin and the calculating looks he shot her, she could say she knew. He clearly had experience in hiding his emotions and motives, but Kurumu could say she saw through him. But the reality is, it was her intuition that warned her, that screamed  _don’t trust him, don’t trust him._  It was her intuition that made her hold Tsukune even closer than she usually would, wanting to protect her beloved from those sharp brown eyes.

  
  
    The blond man caught Moka’s slip—human, she said, the pink idiot—and he suspected, perhaps knew something then. But Hideyoshi had just smiled and moved on, despite the suspicion Kurumu saw under his sunny facade. And it made her _angry_. This—this _human_ was playing some sort of game that Tsukune wouldn’t even think to look for. She could see plans forming in his mind, and Kurumu didn’t want her friends to play any part in it.

  
  
    Then that blond human had grinned, a lie on his tongue as he said, _“A super secret agent! So secret even_ I _don’t know who I’m spying for!”_

  
  
    He is spying on an anti-ghoul organization for someone, and Kurumu does not like that at all.

  
  
    Simply put, Kurumu does not like this situation she and her friends have been put into. Their sole guide and host is playing his cards close to his chest, a ghoul menace is terrorizing their place of residence, and the only locals they have met have been unforthcoming. And violent.

  
  
    That waitress was a liar as well. A selfish, brutal liar that attacks anyone who steps on her toes. Which contributed much to why Kurumu is not happy at the moment.

  
  
    Tsukune had insisted on returning to that coffee shop, and Kurumu could not be more unhappy about that. The last time she was here, she got slapped, after all (so _excuse_ her for not being ecstatic about returning). Besides, there’s no point returning here when they—

  
  
    “So, you’re looking for KanEKIIIII?!” the new red-haired waitress shrieks as the entire platter she’s holding clatters to the ground. Their cups of coffee shatter with an ear-splitting crash and the cake Yukari had ordered splatters to the tile in a sad mauve lump. The girl sinks to the ground as well, her face a visage of absolute horror.

  
  
    “GODDAMMIT, HOITO!” The waiter from yesterday roars, glasses flashing dangerously. “That’s the fifth fucking time this week, you shitty girl!”

  
  
    “Oi, Nishiki-kun, you shouldn’t call women ‘shitty’, you know? It’s no good,” a brown-haired man with a bulbous nose says, idly drying a glass behind the counter.

  
  
    “Stop going easy on her! How many fucking times does she have to break all the china before you fire her?! Even Shitty Touka isn’t this shitty!”

  
  
    “I’m soo sorryyy~” the redhead moans, hands on her head and tears in the corners of her narrow, russet eyes.

  
  
    “You better be. Clean that shit up, already! I’ll go make the damn coffee myself,” the waiter huffs, stalking back behind the counter.

  
  
    “Yes, Nishio-san…” she sniffles, then begins to pick up the broken china with her bare hands. Kurumu startles at this, then notices how none of the jagged shards of ceramic pierce her skin. The succubus’s eyes sharpen.

  
  
    “Let me help you,” Tsukune says because he’s a kind person who could never watch someone suffer, even if they deserve it. He crouches down next to the tearful girl, using the napkins to help her clean up.

  
  
    Moka and Yukari, of course, jump up as well, going over to help. Kurumu, however, stays in her seat, observing.

  
  
    When Kurumu learned this morning that Hideyoshi would be working until the afternoon, she had been relieved for only a few minutes before Tsukune ruined that by announcing that he wanted to return to Anteiku. Kurumu had been and still is against the idea, but Tsukune looked so tired this morning, dark bags under his eyes and movements slow, and she… she didn’t have the heart to deny him. His brother’s disappearance has been so hard on him, so even though she doubted revisiting Anteiku would beget any new results, she thought that it might be good for him to feel like he’s doing something, not just waiting for news. Kurumu doesn’t want Tsukune to feel powerless in this situation—even if he indeed is. She knows that if it were Tsukune or Moka or Yukari missing she’d drive herself mad trying to do something, _anything_ to find them.

  
  
    Yet, at the same time, Kurumu has a bad feeling about this.

  
  
    “You mentioned my brother,” Tsukune says less than a minute after crouching down to help the clumsy waitress. He’s trying to sound nonchalant, but he keeps glancing nervously at the redhead and twitching.

  
  
    The waitress blinks at him, dazed, then her face alights with recognition. “Oh, yes! You said you were looking for Kaneki-san, right?”

  
  
    Tsukune nods warily. Next to him, Moka and Yukari perk up.

  
  
    Before this can go any further, Kurumu speaks up, “Who are you?”

  
  
    The human girl startles, then glances at her in surprise, as if she didn’t realize Kurumu was there. Kurumu glares back.

  
  
    She flinches at Kurumu’s glare, nervously playing with the rag she’s using to wipe up the remains of Yukari’s cake. The waitress hunches a little, smiling awkwardly. “Um. My name is Hoito Roma. I’m new here. S-sorry for the mess…”

 

    “It’s okay,” Tsukune says, placating. Kurumu loves Tsukune—he is her destined, after all—but sometimes she wishes he wasn’t so forgiving. “I’m Aono Tsukune, Kaneki’s brother. Do you know where he is?”

  
  
    Hoito just appraises him for a moment, and something in Kurumu hisses a warning at her intent look. The redhead is searching for something in Tsukune, wondering and fascinated and putting Kurumu’s nerves on edge.

  
  
    “Maybe.”

 

  
    Kurumu snarls, “‘Maybe’? If this is your idea of being coy—”

  
  
    “N-no!” Hoito holds up her hands, shaking her head rapidly. “I-I just mean I think I might know, but I’m not sure—please don’t be angry!”

  
  
    “We’re not!” Tsukune says just as quickly. “What do you think you know? Please, I need to find nii-san.”

  
  
    Hoito hesitates, glancing warily between the four pairs of eyes focused keenly on her. Kurumu debates wringing her neck for the overly long pause. “U-um. Well. I heard from a friend a bit ago that there is this bar in the 14th ward that sells information. Like, on people’s whereabouts and stuff. I also heard that Kaneki-san is friends with the owner, Itori-san.”

  
  
    Kurumu sneers. “You’ve sure ‘heard’ a lot, huh?”

  
  
    Tsukune turns to give her an exasperated and confused look. Kurumu glances away, scowling.

  
  
    “Uh, I guess so?” She says like it a question. “I have a lot of friends in 14, so… yeah. I just, well, I think asking Itori-san about Kaneki-san’s whereabouts is a good place to start. Just tell her you’re his brother and she’ll help. They’re good friends.”

  
  
    Tsukune frowns, but there’s new hope lighting his brown eyes. “I’ve never heard of her before.”

  
  
    The red-haired waitress makes to say something but is cut off by the tall waiter. “What the fuck, Hoito? You’re not supposed to get the customers to help you, dammit! And why does it take this long to clean up some shit with help?!”

  
  
    Hoito flinches, bowing her head. “S-sorry…”

  
  
    “We offered to help her,” Moka says, standing up to face the waiter. He scowls.

  
  
    “Whatever. She doesn’t need any help.” He walks to their table, setting down four cups of coffee and a cake covered in mauve frosting. “Just sit down and eat your shit.”

  
  
    With one last glare directed toward humanity in general but Roma in particular, Nishio flounces away. The man with the bulbous nose behind the counter sends him an exasperated look.

  
  
    Teary-eyed again, Hoito grabs the platter full of ceramic shards and napkins soaked in coffee and stands up unsteadily. Moka lunges forward to grab her arm when she almost tumbles back to the floor. She smiles weakly at the vampire.

  
  
    “I’m sorry for taking up your time. I’ll leave now.”

  
  
    “Wait.” Tsukune reaches a hand out but doesn’t touch the waitress’s shoulder. “This bar, you said it’s in the 14th ward? What’s it called?”

  
  
    Something flashes through Hoito’s eyes, too quick to catch, and her smile becomes genuine. “Helter Skelter. Just ask the locals, I’m sure they’ll point you in the right direction.”

  
  
    Tsukune nods fervently, then says, “Thank you so, so much. This—thank you.”

  
  
    Hoito’s smile tilts into what could be called a smirk before she’s turning their back on them. “Of course, Tsukune-kun. Tell me how it goes~”

  
  
    And with that, the girl leaves them to their coffee and their thoughts.

  
  
    Kurumu stares after her as her friends sit back down, racking her brain, trying to remember if Tsukune ever gave that girl his name.

  
  
    “This is great, Tsukune!” Moka says, face bright. “We have a lead!”

  
  
    Tsukune nods, a bit dazed. “Yeah. Yeah, we do.”

  
  
    The succubus frowns, wondering if it’s wise to say anything. She doesn’t want to crush Tsukune’s hopes, but… “I don’t trust her.”

  
  
    The vampire’s eyebrows furrow. “Why? She seemed like a very nice person.”

  
  
    Speaking with her mouth half-full with cake, Yukari says, “You scared, bimbo?”

  
  
    Kurumu whips her head left to scowl at Yukari. “Scared? Yeah, right!”

  
  
    “You look reeeallly worried. Afraid a ghoul’s gonna get us?”

  
  
    “I’m not afraid, you little brat!” Kurumu yells, half-standing in her seat.

  
  
    “Don’t fight!” Tsukune pleads, glancing nervously at the still-annoyed Nishio. Kurumu sits back down. Tsukune turns back to her. “Why don’t you trust her, Kurumu-chan? She seemed honest.”

  
    Kurumu looks at Tsukune, at the tired slouch of his shoulders and the way his fingers twitch on the table. She looks at Moka, doe-eyed and concerned. She looks at Yukari, face stuffed with cake and the most carefree she’s been since entering the human world. And she knows they won’t understand.

  
  
    “I just don’t,” Kurumu says, averting her gaze. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  
  
    “Don’t worry, Kurumu-chan,” Moka speaks up. “I’m sure it’ll be okay. No one will attack us in a public place like a bar with all the humans around.”

  
  
    The blue-haired girl sighs, glancing back to the door Hoito had disappeared behind. “Whatever.”

  
  
    Kurumu, for the record, thinks this is a terrible idea that will only end in tears.

* * *

     Leaning against a door with a phone in hand, a woman calls a man.

  
  
    The clowns laugh and laugh, for things like these are such fun.

* * *

     It takes an embarrassing amount of time to convince them.

  
  
    “I’ll be back before nightfall. Besides, the 14th is hardly that dangerous of a ward,” a white-haired young man reasons, his frown edging on being a pout. “There is no need for you to come with me.”

  
  
    His ‘sword’ and ‘shield’ share a glance that speaks much about how skeptical they must be, considering their dislike for each other.

  
  
    “We know, Kaneki,” a brown-haired man with an oddly cut beard says placatingly. “It’s just that you’ve made a name for yourself and, well…”

  
  
    “I would not be surprised if Aogiri Tree attacked you, Kaneki-kun,” a purple-haired man in a red striped suit finishes, looking as worried as the other.

  
  
    “That’s true, but I do not need to be babied, Banjou-san, Tsukiyama-san. I can handle myself perfectly fine.”

  
  
    “Of course,” Banjou is quick to say. “It’s just, well, better safe than sorry, you know?”

  
  
    “We are well aware of how strong you are, Kaneki-kun,” Tsukiyama says with a winning smile. “But we have dedicated ourselves to you. We are sworn to protect you.”

  
  
    Kaneki shakes his head. “No. I will go see Itori-san on my own. Coming as a group may make her less likely to share certain information.”

  
  
    “We can stand outside,” Banjou says. “We’ll just guard the door, make sure no one else comes in.”

  
  
    “As Banjoi said.” Tsukiyama ignores the annoyed ‘that’s not my name!’ from Banjou. “We’d rather be safe than sorry. There’s hardly much risk in us following you, no?”

  
  
    “ _Weak weak weak. Those who rely on others are weak, prey for the predator to devour,_ ” Rize hisses in his ear. “ _The strong don’t need protection, for they will protect themselves. Are you strong, Kaneki-kun?_ ”

  
  
    “I am going alone,” Kaneki says, dangerously soft. “I do not need your protection.” 

  
  
    Kaneki watches as the two men instantly backpedal, seeing that they’re made a misstep. It’s annoying how everyone seems to walk on eggshells around him nowadays.

  
  
    “We’re not saying you need it,” Banjou says, subconsciously backing away a step from Kaneki’s blank-faced anger. “We’d just feel better if—”

  
  
    “I am going alone,” Kaneki near-growls, muscles tensing, prepared to fight, to kill to ensure he remains strong.

  
  
    “You’re going alone,” Tsukiyama repeats, smile strained. “Yes, _très bien_ , Kaneki-kun.”  

  
  
    Banjou nods quickly next to him. Kaneki watches them for another moment, making sure they are not lying, then nods as well. His muscles relax, knowing that the threat is gone.

  
  
    “All right, then. Please stay here with Hinami-chan until I return,” the half-ghoul says, turning to walk out the door. He doesn’t see how both ghouls deflate as he calms again.

  
  
    “Say hello to Itori for me, Kaneki-kun!”

  
  
    Kaneki nods absently, leaving and closing the door behind him.

 

    There’s a faint ‘ _mio dio_ ’ on the other side.

  
  
    He has much to discuss with Itori, some things he’d rather not have anyone around to overhear. They know that he is searching for Kanou—how could they not? That has been his central goal ever since he pried himself from Yamori’s clutches. He wants to find that man, learn why he was turned into a ghoul, find out what he is planning. Finding Kanou is the first step to finding the truth.

  
  
    There is more to his visit, however. He needs information on something they would not understand, on something they may disapprove of.

  
  
    Cannibalism. Kaneki needs to know more than the meager information Yamori had fed him. He can feel himself growing stronger ( _a burn under his skin, lava for blood, frantic scratching in his ears_ ) but at the same time, he is giving more and more into his bloodlust, both literal and metaphorical. He is becoming a true monster, he knows, and he needs to find out how long he will be able to retain his control if he continues on this path.

  
  
    Because becoming a cannibal means no one is safe from him, not even Hinami or Touka or Banjou. Becoming a cannibal means that if he is overcome by his craving for ghoul flesh, he will eat anyone in the vicinity. Back when humans were his (unwilling) source of food, he’d almost eaten his own best friend. If it weren’t for Touka, Hide would be dead right now, devoured by him. Now that ghouls are fair game… Well, he can’t let himself to get that hungry again.

  
  
    He remembers, vaguely, Uta mentioning cannibalism when Kaneki had first met him. At the time, the thought had horrified him, had made him freeze in fear under Uta’s amused gaze. How hilarious, in hindsight.

  
  
    ( _He wonders, sometimes, if anything is left of the Kaneki he was. Perhaps he killed him. Perhaps that Kaneki is just dead, and he is the monster that took his place._ )

  
  
    The point is, Kaneki is not the only ghoul to cannibalize, so that means someone must know what exact effect such a thing has on the ghoul in question. And if some ghoul out there knows, that means there is more than a good chance that Itori knows. 

  
  
    Kaneki does not trust Itori, not as his former self did. He trusts the information she gives him, for it’s her trade, but Itori herself is in question. Which is another reason not to bring anyone along. Who knows what information she could glean from a short visit, and how much she will sell it for.

  
  
    And so Kaneki walks the back alleys alone, heading toward Helter Skelter and the truth.

  
  
    On the other side of Tokyo, his dear little brother does the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, the truth is I don't have my ADHD medication, so I have the attention span of a squirrel. So there's that.
> 
> Question: What do you guys think of the pacing? Too slow? Too fast? Just right? I'm unsure about how I should pace this story.
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me, lovely readers! Please share your thoughts : )


	7. Blunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukune is kinda useless until he isn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da!

_Blunder (_ bluhn _-der): to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness_

 

 

  
    “U-um, excuse me, sorry to bother you…”

  
  
    “...”

  
  
    “I’m, uh, looking for a bar somewhere around here. I was told it was in the 14th ward but not exactly where so I was wondering if one of you would help me? Please?”

  
  
    “...”

  
  
    “I-It’s called Helter Skelter, I think. At least, that’s what I was told—”

  
  
    “Why is someone like _you_ looking for a place like _that?_ ”

  
  
    “Uh? Well, I’m looking for my brother and someone there may know where he is, so…”

  
  
    “...”

  
  
    “Okay, that’s fine, sorry I bothered you! I’ll just go—”

  
  
    “Do you think we should?”

  
  
    “Wha—”

  
  
    “Those girls smell strange. They’re not like us but also not like him.”

  
  
    “Drugs?”

  
  
    “Hmm, not sure. Shouldn’t hurt, though.”

  
  
    “Well, I am pretty hungry. Better than cannibalism, I guess.”

  
  
    “E-Excuse me, what are you—”

  
  
    “Hold still.”

* * *

    Tsukune has done many stupid and reckless things in his life, especially since attending a school for monsters, but willingly approaching a pack of ghouls to ask for directions may just rank his top four. Somewhere up there with jumping in front of Kuyou’s deadly fire attack, taking Ririko-sensei’s “classes,” and attending Yokai Academy in the first place. They were all all-around stupid ideas, and Tsukune did all of them anyway.

  
  
    To be fair, Tsukune didn’t know that the four women they stumbled across were ghouls—at least, not for sure. They looked human enough—not friendly necessarily, but they certainly did not look like they ate people on a regular basis. Tsukune had shot a few nervous glances at their dark clothing and heavy eyeliner, but assumed they were shady but not shady enough to try to shank him and his friends. Hopefully.

  
  
    The four women had been lounging on a large dumpster in one of the 14th ward’s many dark alleys, chatting and giggling quietly. Compared to the figures he’d come across on his way there, the four calm women with no visible weapons seemed downright approachable. So approach Tsukune had, despite Kurumu’s hissing and Moka’s hesitance and Yukari’s attempt to grab his sleeve.

  
  
    Considering the way his life has gone up to this point, Tsukune shouldn’t be surprised that everything went horribly wrong very quickly.

  
  
    “Tsukune!” one of the girls cries behind him and the closest woman— _ghoul_ —lunges at him. He knows well that he should move, _has_ to move, but as he can’t. He’s frozen. Despite all his near-death experiences in the last few months, Tsukune is paralyzed.

  
  
    He’s heard before that a ghoul’s eyes are red as fresh blood, but that detail does little to describe them. They are a simultaneously bright and dark shade of crimson, but against the pitch black of their scleras, they are otherworldly in a way mere color change cannot capture. They gleam despite the darkness of the alley; they gleam with bloodlust and delight and cruelty. A _monster’s_ eyes. Not monsters like vampires or succubi or witches, but a monster that delights in slaughter and suffering. A monster worse than the likes of Kuyou, who seemed the most irredeemable brand of evil until now. A real monster.

  
  
    In one endless moment, the ghoul leaps from the dumpster and into his face. While he stares into her hellfire eyes and his friends shout a warning behind him, something dark and sinuous slashes through the air. And through his chest.

  
  
    His eyes don’t leave hers, even as blood gurgles in his mouth and his entire torso goes numb. They don’t leave hers even as he crumples to the asphalt, no longer possessing control of his own limbs. He sees her lips move, but he cannot hear her or his friends. He watches as what seems to be a pulsing, razor-sharp tentacle sways between them.

  
  
    Tsukune should have told Hide where they were going. Maybe he could have prevented this somehow or sent back-up in the form of his investigator friends. Instead, Tsukune lies in a numb heap, his world greying.

  
  
    He’s dying.

* * *

    Moka remembers vividly the first lecture she ever had on ghouls.

  
  
    _(“Though pitiful creatures, they are not to be underestimated,” her father said, his intense gaze alternating between his two youngest daughters. His arms were crossed, face stern; any other monster would find the sight of him imposing and formidable. His daughters, however, didn’t bat an eyelash as the powerful vampire lord loomed over them. “They are a versatile species. Most are D- to C-Class, though a select number of them are considered S-Class.”_

  
  
_It didn’t make sense to Moka at the time. All monster types had a fixed class. Monsters such as_ cyclops _and lizardmen were D-Class, doppelgängers and mermaids C-Class, lamia and medusa B-Class, and_ succibi _and yuki-onna were A-Class. Solely vampires, werewolves, and_ youko _could claim the title of S-Class monster. That was how it worked. Though members of the same class were hardly equal, there’s only so much one species could stretch its power. So what of the ghouls, then? Where did they fall when they defy all the rules of the class system? How does one consider a species that cannot be so easily classified? Moka had no clue._

  
  
_“They are the sole monster species that has been fully recognized by human society,” her father went on. “This is largely due to their need to feast on human flesh. Unlike us vampires, who needn’t kill to sustain ourselves, ghouls require an entire human body every few months.”_

  
  
_Idly, Moka wondered about the mass and size of a human body. How could a creature of the same bearing eat the entirety of another? Surely their stomachs couldn’t handle that. So that meant they only eat part of a human, and either shared the rest or left it to rot. They need a full body’s worth, though, so how many people have died to satiate a single ghoul? How many humans did they eat in a month, a year, a lifetime?_

  
  
    (Too many. That was the answer.)

  
  
  _“This leads to thousands of human deaths, which cannot be hidden from their society. Even with the strongest of magic, we cannot hide something of that caliber for long. So the ghouls remain in the public eye, as unaware of our existence as the humans.”_

  
  
_“Why don’t we help them?” Kokoa, her fiery-haired little sister, asked. She was frowning, tugging at a loose thread of her frilly black dress. Moka reached over to pull her hand away, earning her a sheepish glance._

  
  
_“And endanger all monsters?” he said sharply. Kokoa winced. “Helping them would mean revealing our existence to the humans, which would undoubtedly lead to war. Humans are terrified of anything different from them, Kokoa. They slaughter and butcher the unfamiliar, for anything they don’t understand scares them. And scared animals will always lash out.”_

  
  
_“And the humans look no deeper?” Moka asks, partially in curiosity but mostly to shift their father’s attention from Kokoa._

  
  
  _A sneer, subtle but discernible, morphs his face into that of a predator. “Humans are curious beings by nature, far too curious, yet also blinded by their self-importance. If they have yet to find us, to the majority of humans, that means we cannot exist. They are far too confident in their perception of this world, but if they believe they missed something, that will change. They want to know everything, see everything, and if they learned of our existence, they’d stop at nothing to learn all there is to know. Even if it means war. Even if it means tearing our bodies apart to study our organs.”_

  
  
_Kokoa pales, looking down at her clasped hands. Moka grimaces. Their father could be so very descriptive when he got worked up. It had lead to many of Kokoa’s nightmares and Moka’s own insidious worries. Now her intrusive thoughts would contain her or her sisters being ripped apart._

  
  
_“The ghouls still persevere, though,” Moka said, looking her father in the eye. “They have endured the full attention of the humans, yet they still live. If all monsters joined in, wouldn’t the humans stand no chance? They can barely handle the ghouls as it is, so wouldn’t helping be in our favor?”_

  
  
_Her father glared, though not at Moka despite the direction of his gaze. Perhaps it was at the humans he loathed. Perhaps it was at something else entirely. “Ghouls do not_ live , _Moka, merely survive. They may not be extinct, but that does not mean they will find any joy in their life of death. There is no happiness to be found in their short lifespans. They are hunted down like feral animals every day of their lives. They never can be educated formally nor walk down a street without fear. Humans cut their friends and families apart, piece by piece, and turn what is salvageable into a weapon to be used against their own kind. Then they have the gall to say that they are mindless beasts when they scream and cry and beg.”_

  
  
_Moka had no words._

  
  
   _“That is the fate that awaits any who should try to oppose them, Moka, Kokoa. In the end, it is likely that we monsters would win, but it would be a pyrrhic victory. The costs would simply be too great. It is best to stay in the shadows and live as we please, as stepping into the humans’ light will mean great change and great loss.” The man shakes his head. “It is a tragedy that ghouls must be hunted down by humans, but it is a necessary one. Besides…”_

  
  
_A grim smile. “Ghouls are a vengeful species, my daughters. They shall not rest until they carve every life taken out of their enemy’s hide. They have learned to be cruel and violent and merciless from the humans. Meaning every last one of them is wicked, for any ghoul born otherwise is swiftly killed. Mercy has been bred out of them. A ghoul shall not hesitate to strike you down should you cross their paths, so take heed, my daughters.”_

  
  
_“Show them no mercy, or you will learn why ghouls are so widely feared.”)_

  
  
    Beside her, Kurumu screams her rage, bat wings sprouting from her back and nails growing into razor-edged talons. Yukari screams as well, in fear, holding her wand aloft as she gathers magic for a spell. Moka is still and quiet, her mind racing.

  
  
    Four ghouls of unknown rating, all dressed for stealth and eager for their next kill. One has unleashed their fighting organ, which takes the shape of three tentacle-like weapons. Kurumu is a succubus, meaning she is an A-Class monster, so there is a decent chance she outranks at least a few of the ghouls. A and S-Class ghouls are rare, the same as with monsters. Yukari is a witch, generally C-Class, but she is also inexperienced and not fully grown. There is a very good chance she will not be able to take on any of these ghouls on her own. And Moka...

  
  
    Moka is an S-Class vampire, but she can only utilize her power if her rosary is removed, making her at best D-Class otherwise. She is essentially useless if she can’t remove her rosary to fight, and Tsukune is the sole person who can easily remove it. And he’s… not in any condition to help.

  
  
    Frantic, mind-numbing worry tries to cloud her mind, but she pushes it away. Panic won’t save anyone.

  
  
    Tsukune is in very bad condition, likely fatal if she doesn’t do something right now. There’s a deep gash stretching from his shoulder to his hip, deep enough that another centimeter would mean his evisceration. He will bleed out soon, which she cannot allow to happen, and they won’t be able to beat the ghouls fast enough to save him (if they can at all). There’s only one option left, but it isn’t a good one.

  
  
    ‘ _We cannot let this continue,_ ’ her inner self says, echoing Moka’s own thoughts. ‘ _Our vampiric blood may very well destroy him from inside out this time, and if not now, certainly the next. His human body cannot handle our power._ ’

  
  
    ‘ _We don’t have a choice_ ,’ she responds. ‘ _Tsukune will die if we don’t!_ ’

  
  
    Moka darts forward as fast as she can, calling out, “I need to save Tsukune. Kurumu-chan, Yukari-chan, please protect us!”

  
  
     _‘He may very well meet a worse fate if we do._ ’

  
  
    Kurumu’s eyes alight with understanding, and her concern and reluctance are dashed out by determination.

  
  
    “I won’t let you touch Tsukune again!” the succubus shouts, flying at the ghoul that slashed Tsukune. The ghoul freezes, mouth agape as a mythical being bears upon her.

  
  
    “What the actual fuck?!”

  
  
    Moka falls to her knees next to Tsukune, trying to ignore all the blood that stains her dress.

  
  
    “M-Moka-san?” Tsukune murmurs, eyes glassy and his own blood splattered on his cheek.

  
  
    “Don’t worry, you’re going to be okay,” Moka assures him as much as herself, leaning down to bite Tsukune’s neck.

  
  
    In her peripherals, Moka catches something dark purple flying at her only to be immediately interceded.

  
  
    “Don’t you dare hurt Moka-san!” Yukari yells, summoning a massive wok between Moka and the projectiles. Purple crystals hit the steel with a metallic ting ting ting, and there’s another shout of surprise.

  
  
    “Where the hell did—is that a _pan_?!” One ghoul stands atop the dumpster, vibrant purple crystals sprouting behind her shoulders. Wings?

  
  
    ‘ _Contemplate later. Do it_.’

  
  
    Moka bites down on Tsukune’s neck, not to drink as she usually does. Instead, she channels her own vampiric blood directly into Tsukune’s arteries. She’s careful with the dosage; too little could mean Tsukune’s wounds won’t heal, too much and it would only hurt Tsukune.

  
  
    “What _are_ they? They are _not_ ghouls!”

  
  
    “The little one is making cookware appear. What, is it fucking magic or something?”

  
  
    “Magic isn’t real, idiot.”

  
  
     _Thwack_.

  
  
    “Shit, that actually hurt!”

  
  
    “How the hell do you explain that then?!”

  
  
    “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. A corpse is a corpse, and they seem edible enough.”

  
  
    A screech, and the sound of cement being torn up.

  
  
    “That one has bat wings. Are we not going to question this?”

  
  
    “You have wings too, it’s not that weird.”

  
  
    “Yes, yes it is. This is my kagune, that’s different. Those are legit _bat wings_.”

  
  
    Moka ignores them, focused on making sure Tsukune doesn’t die.

  
  
    ‘ _That’s enough. Any more and you’ll kill him_.’

  
  
    The vampire pulls her teeth out carefully and examines the human boy. His pallor is better, and the wounds are closing up rapidly, but Moka still pales.

  
  
    Tsukune’s hair is whitening at the roots.

  
  
    Yukari shrieks, barely avoiding a sinuous tentacle that bearly bisects her. The perpetrator, instead of looking discouraged, watches the little witch avidly. As if she’s testing Yukari’s reactions.

  
  
    Kurumu makes to attack the ghoul bearing down on Yukari, only for two of the other ghouls pounce on her, one driving its tail-like weapon through the succubus’s right wing. Kurumu screams.

  
  
    Their friends won’t last much longer.

  
  
    “Tsukune, I need you to take off my rosary.” Moka moves his limp hand to the silver cross on her chest. His fingers twitch but do not move enough. “Please, Tsukune. Our friends are in danger!”

  
  
    His blood still stains the ground beneath them and the whole of Tsukune’s chest, yet he manages a weak, desperate yank.

  
  
    The rosary is removed. The dark alley goes white.

* * *

    “Oh, what now?”

  
  
    “Gah! Why’s it so goddamn bright?”

  
  
    “We’ve been taking too long, the Doves will be here soon.”

  
  
    “Nah, they’re all in the 13th. We have plenty of time before they send some weak newbies, let alone senior Doves.”

  
  
    “Hey, what’s—SHIT!”

* * *

    It soon becomes a game of tag.

  
  
    Moka has fought many fast monsters in her life, including the likes of a werewolf, infamous for its maneuverability. It has been a long time, however, since she’s found herself dodging more than attacking.

  
  
    They dance around each other in a narrow alley, Moka deftly avoiding the attacks of four separate ghouls before finding an opening, only for her target to be a touch too quick or her attack a touch too slow. They have the advantage in numbers, having four combatants each using their own unique style, but Moka is an S-Class vampire. She was born for battle.

  
  
    She is a flash of silver darting around, circling her prey and testing them. Her equally red eyes meet theirs, and the vampire does not flinch at their menacing gazes.

  
  
    Inner Moka is much scarier than they can ever be.

  
  
    ( _She does not know what makes one truly terrifying_.)

  
  
    It takes a while, but Moka manages to land a hit after kicking off the wall and onto the winged-one’s shoulder. Her powerful dropkick hits the ghoul's collarbone, and there’s a wet _crack_ as in snaps under her heeled boots. The ghoul squawks, and Moka vaults off another ghoul’s head to escape the mass of sharp tentacles descending upon her.

  
  
    ‘ _One down, three to go_ ,’ the vampire thinks, ducking under another sword-like organ aiming for her throat.

  
  
    “Just stay still and die already!” the ghoul yells, swinging the sword-like weapon wildly in an effort to score even a glancing blow. It’s a bizarre weapon, extending from the ghoul’s mid-back and parallel to their arm. It stretches past their fingertips, giving them greater range. Unlike all the others, this ghoul’s arm and weapon swing in tandem, adding even more power to each blow. Moka carefully avoids that particular enemy’s strikes.

  
  
    “Damn, all this fighting’s making me even _more_ hungry,” the one with the tail-like organ says, and a tentacle lashes out to break the heavy pots flying at her comrade's head.

  
  
    “Pay attention,” the ghoul reprimands, one tentacle batting the cookware and the other two swiping at Moka. “These chicks have some weird hoodoo on their side.”

  
  
    Moka leaps away from the three remaining ghouls to get some room and regroup, when Kurumu calls out, “Moka, watch out!”

  
  
    The call comes too late, as Moka has barely twisted around when multiple sharp objects lodge into her back. Moka stifles a scream at the sudden pain and looks over her shoulder.

  
  
    The winged one is standing, clavicle jutting out of her shoulder yet seeming mostly unaffected. Her crystalline wings are spread wide, and Moka then notices the multitude of crystal projectiles sticking out of her own back. Each is a few inches long, and most of them have struck deep.

  
  
    “Moka-san!” someone cries, but Moka doesn’t pay attention to that. She springs to the right, ignoring the searing pain as she backs away, trying to get all four ghouls in her view. Something hot and wet drips down back and to her legs. She’s bleeding too much.

  
  
    “What, did you think one little kick would down me?” the winged one says, though despite the mocking lilt to it, there’s an edge of genuine confusion. As if it is evident that such a wound would be superficial. Moka does not like her tone at all.

  
  
    No time to ponder. She needs to remove the projectiles or her vampiric healing won’t kick in, but her enemies won’t let up to give her time to tend to her wounds. The ghouls are already back on the offensive.

  
  
    Moka backs away again to avoid a slashing attack, when sheer agony overcomes her she backs into a wall instead, pushing the crystals even deeper. Her vision goes black for a moment, and her hearing is muffled as she betrays herself and screams her pain.

  
  
    When she regains her senses, no new pain greets her, and someone is standing in front of her.

  
  
    Holding a tentacle bare-handed, a silver-haired Tsukune _snarls_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear: Moka switches from her Outer self to her Inner self during the last break. I didn't want to go calling them Outer and Inner Moka for every line so I will just call them both Moka and try to make it clear which is in control.
> 
> Sorry, kind of a cliffhanger, but I cut it here so you guys actually have a new chapter.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment : )


	8. Barbaric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghouls have hard lives and goddammit Kaneki, you make terrible decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait, guys! I made the terrible decision to start another fanfic at the same time so... that's a thing. 
> 
> Also: things get pretty graphic in this chapter, but it's the canon-typical violence of Tokyo Ghoul.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Barbaric (bahr_ -bar- _ik): savagely cruel; exceedingly brutal_

 

 

    The thing about being a ghoul is that you become desensitized to a lot of things. It’s hard to hold onto your sentimentality when you need to kill every month just to survive. There’s only so many times one can tear out a person’s throat before the horror fades. If their hearts remained soft, after all, they would go insane from guilt. So, eventually, they stop feeling much at all when it is net time to kill. That is the fate of a ghoul.

 

    Chouko hadn’t been like the other ghoul children. They accepted their fate as the monsters under the humans’ beds, but Chouko didn’t for a long time. Her father would berate her for her empathy towards humans, his anger hiding his fear for his daughter’s life. Chouko didn’t want to kill anyone, but it was that or die. Her father tried to teach her that, but it would take his death for it to finally sink in.

 

    It truly is a kill-or-be-killed world. And in order to preserve the life her father died protecting, Chouko killed. It was terrible at first. Chouko wasn’t strong enough to hunt the adult humans, so she had to prey on those her own age or the feeble. She felt monstrous every time she took a life for years and years, but eventually, her heart couldn’t take any more of the strain and stopped caring altogether. Killing was so much easier when one is used to their hands being stained crimson.

 

    Now, years later at age twenty-three, Chouko has searched every nook and cranny of her soul and extinguished any lingering sympathy. She’s become cold, but that is the only way to survive.

 

    Finding meaning in life is harder for ghouls than for humans, as much time is spent preserving themselves and the rest spent hiding away from the masses. Despair is a heady drug easy to give into, but Chouko has found a scrap of purpose. She’s made friends, and life is looking a bit less bleak than it did a year before.

 

    They aren’t good people by any means, but neither is Chouko. Akane, Midori, and Haruka aren’t quite like Chouko in that they have had far too many close encounters with the Doves, leading them to hide in the shadows even more than Chouko. Though she lost her parents and older brother to the Doves, Chouko doesn’t have the healthy fear of them she probably should have.

 

   _(Maybe, somewhere hidden deep inside her where even she cannot find it, she wants justice to be served for all the lives she’s ruined. Not to die, but to_ repent.)

 

    All of this leads to Chouko making a decision that would end terribly for her. In her defense, there was no way she could have guessed what would happen.

* * *

 

    This day couldn't get any fucking weirder.

  
  
    Chouko has seen some weird shit in her twenty-three years of living. Like any ghoul, she's seen pretty much every possible way a person can die, including more ridiculous deaths like that guy her father killed years ago who got his own fingers stabbed into his eye socket and to his brain. Chouko's also seen Doves with bizarre quinques (the _monsters)_ and ghouls who managed to mutate into something seriously grotesque after cannibalizing. Then there was also that time when her prey tap-danced in an effort to distract her…

  
  
    The point is, Chouko has seen some pretty weird shit. None of it ranks even close to everything that's happened in the last fifteen minutes.

  
  
    The kid that approached Chouko and her friends had been a scrawny teen with brown doe eyes and all the presence of a meek little lamb. He was nervous and stumbling over his own words, but had somehow managed to wrangle the confidence to approach four strangers in an alley to ask for directions. The fact that he was looking for a ghoul hotspot of all places when he himself was human was probably the strangest part about it.

 

    Chouko wasn’t hungry in the least, so she barely gave him a once-over before dismissing his existence. Her friends, however, didn't hunt as often as Chouko for fear of the Doves and thought the boy would be a tasty snack. Akane, as always, dived at the boy with her usual ferociousness, nearly bisecting him in one fell swoop.

  
  
    That's when shit got weird.

  
  
    The blue-haired teenager behind the boy screeched like a banshee and next thing they knew something was protruding from her back. All four of them immediately released their kagune, ready for a fight with the strange-smelling ghoul. Instead, they got a fucking mythical creature after their ass.

 

  
    Wings like that of a bat, long talons, pointed ears. She looked like something straight out of a fairytale, unlike ghouls, who were more a horror movie monster than a magical creature. Her features weren’t for show, either, as the teen literally flew at them with her sharp talons ready to bite flesh. She wasn’t as much of a threat as a fellow ghoul would be, but she also certainly was a more significant threat than the humans they’d signed up for.

 

    And the young girl with the pointy hat could apparently summon cookware from god-knows-where to shield her comrades from Chouko’s ukaku projectiles and to hit Haruka over the head with. Were they seriously dealing with _magic?_ What were these girls, some sick experiment the Doves created?

 

    Whatever they were, they still stood no chance against four run-of-the-mill ghouls. While the winged one was fast, that was all she had going for her. Her talons could only leave scratches in the cement where their kagune left deep gouges, and every attack she sent their way bounced off their ghoulish skin as most things do. The girl also seemed to have little combat experience compared to Chouko and her friends, who have fought every day to survive their entire lives.

 

    The little one wearing the witch hat wasn’t even worth mentioning. Her pots and pans could impede their vision and stall them for a moment, but did nothing to injure them and didn’t work well enough as a distraction to give the blue-haired girl an opening. They were going to win this, undoubtedly, and get a taste of their strange, exotic meat.

 

    That is when a brilliant light nearly blinded the four ghouls, and a silver-haired girl stepped forward. She was not a pushover like those three.

 

    This girl was strong, much stronger than the two that fought before her. She could keep up with the inhuman speed of the ghouls, and though she was not dressed like a fighter in her pretty white lacy dress, she moved like one. She moved like someone trained in combat; a fighter, but not a killer.

 

    Her punches and kicks were as strong if not stronger than theirs, but she was not aiming to kill. Her first mistake.

 

    Eventually, Chouko slipped up, and the girl made it through her guard, landing a solid hit that broke Chouko’s collarbone. It hurt some, but Chouko had suffered far worse and shook it off quickly. She may not have a rinkaku ghoul’s regeneration, but a couple bites and she should be good as new again.

 

    To Chouko’s bewilderment, the teenager wrote her off immediately, turning her back on Chouko to face her three ghouls friends. Midori lost her temper while Chouko was recovering, and swung her koukaku wildly at the silver-haired girl. Chouko was confused.

 

    Any ghoul, even the weakest of ghouls, can shake off a non-fatal, minor injury like a broken collarbone. This girl had clearly never faced a ghoul before, yet she had experience in high-speed, high-stakes battle. It didn’t make sense. Was she trained exclusively by the Doves or something? No, she should at least know how durable a ghoul is, then.

 

    Chouko was not a noble person—never had been—so she finds no shame in attacking the enemy while her back is turned. She realizes Chouko is still battle-ready too late and is pierced by Chouko’s ukaku projectiles.

 

    The fight should have been a cinch with her pretty much out of commission. That isn’t what happened, though.

 

    The boy that should have bled out by now stands before them, Akane’s rinkaku held in one hand and not piercing his evidently inhuman skin. He had smelled human before, but his demonic red eyes and snarl say otherwise.

 

    Before any of them can begin to comprehend the situation, the boy grasps Akane’s rinkaku with both hands and _pulls._ Akane is thrown to the other end of the alley with ghoulish strength, only Akane’s quick thinking steadying herself with her other rinkaku saving her from a severe concussion.

 

    The boy lunges at Chouko next, and she barely has time to curl her ukaku in front of her before he attacks with a barrage of kicks and punches. He’s fast, at least as fast as the silver-haired girl, but that isn’t what shocks Chouko.

 

    The way he moves, how he doesn’t let up on his attacks, that hungry look on his face—he’s acting like a feral ghoul. Chouko has seen and even lived it; a ghoul that hasn’t eaten for far too long, their bloodthirst overriding all mental faculties. The hunger has devoured them and become them. That is what this boy is.

 

    He is not like the girl before. This teenage boy is fighting to _kill_ and _conquer_ and _feast._

 

    He is not human, he must be some strange offshoot of a ghoul. No one but a ghoul could be so single-mindedly murderous.

 

    Then the silver-haired girl jumps back into the fray, and things go awry.

 

    The six fighters vault over each other and bounce off the walls, maneuvering strategically in hopes of spotting an opening. Chouko has little doubt that to any human they must all be mere blurs. Only their enhanced sight and reflexes are keeping the six of them alive, as anything lesser would be long dead by now.

 

    Soon, Chouko is the only one of her group still keeping up with the battle, as her friends went into this battle hungry and had only gotten worse. Haruka has lost control, now swiping blindly and madly in her last attempt to end this. Only clever use of Chouko’s ukaku keeps Haruka from having her skull caved in.

 

    Akane is the best fighter of the four of them, but she too is struggling. It’s been almost two months since Akane ate that young barista Midori hated, far too long by ghoul standards. Dammit, if only they went hunting yesterday, if only Chouko had pushed them to not worry over the Doves so much...

 

    Her worry distracts her, and Chouko growls in the boy’s face as he lands a heavy hit to her sternum. His crimson eyes are sharp yet dull; clearly taking everything in his battle haze, yet not truly _seeing_ what is happening. Chouko tries to chop off his arm, only to fly across the alley when a solid punch to the face makes her see stars.

 

    Getting injured always worsens a ghoul’s hunger; human flesh provides ghouls their much-needed energy and life, and is what fuels their inhuman powers. The less energy they have, the more sluggish their kagune and slower their regeneration. The more they get hurt, the less energy they have. The less energy they have, the slower they heal. The slower they heal, the higher the probability of death.

 

    Chouko and her friends did not sign for this. They had no plans to die, but then again, very few do.

* * *

 

    They last for ten more minutes before they are beaten into the ground.

 

    Haruka is put down like a rabid dog, the silver-haired girl knocking her out cold. She lies unconscious, a bloody ragdoll on the dirty pavement.

 

    Akane has lost all three of her rinkaku, torn off savagely by the boy. They regenerate as they always do, but her hunger has taken its toll on her, and her rinkaku remain twitching stumps.

 

    Midori weakly bats off the girl with her koukaku, dazed and bleeding liberally from a nasty kick to her temple. The girl holds her off easily, pity in her eyes. Midori sees this and screams her rage. She falls back to the ground when she’s kicked harshly again.

 

    Chouko lies with her clavicle jutting out of her shoulder and half her right ukaku wing ripped off. She snarls right back at the damn boy.

 

    He looms over her, breathing ragged and red eyes gleaming feverishly. Chouko stares back at him, acting undaunted while inside she wonders just what kind of monster this boy is.

 

    His foot raises, then stomps down on her already broken collarbone. Chouko can’t hold back an agonized scream as the bones in her shoulder clash against each other. Chouko blacks out for a blessed moment before she’s cruelly brought back to the waking world.

 

    The boy only sinks his foot deeper, and the other raises, ready to flatten Chouko’s skull.

 

    “Tsukune, stop,” the silver-haired girl demands, leaving a struggling Midori behind to stride up to her comrade. “You’ve beaten them. That is enough.”

 

    The boy’s eerie gaze flickers between the girl’s eyes and Chouko’s unfocused kakugan. That feverish light dims but does not leave. He raises his foot higher, preparing to stomp down on Chouko’s face.

 

    “ _Tsukune_.” There’s something scared in her voice. Chouko wonders, faintly, if she’s actually going to die to some Dove’s psycho experiment. She didn’t want to die.

 

    Another voice protests from the other end of the alley; one of his weaker friends.

 

    He stares.

 

    “Tsukune, _please.”_

 

    He stares and stares, then slowly, the silver drains from his hair and the red from his eyes, leaving them an average dark color. His foot still raised, he loses his balance and falls sideways. The girl leaps forward to catch him.

 

    “Fucking bitch, I’ll fucking kill her…” Chouko can hear Midori hissing under her breath and hopes that the silver-haired girl’s hearing isn’t as good as theirs. She would never forgive Midori if she got them killed because she couldn’t shut her goddamn mouth.

 

    Chouko’s vision is fading in and out, her consciousness only tethered by a thread.

 

    Footsteps, more voices.

 

    “Oh my gosh. Is he going to be okay, Moka?” Concerned, shaken.

 

    “...”

 

    “That… that was pretty scary.” Terrified, shaky.

 

    “...Tsukune will be fine. Come on, we need to get somewhere safe to rest. We don’t have the energy to walk back to Hideyoshi’s.”

 

    “What—what about them?” a small voice, timid and unsure.

 

    “Well… They’re going to hurt more people if we just let them go.”

 

    “We will not kill them, Kurumu.”

 

    Something loosens in Chouko’s chest.

 

    “I wasn’t saying that! Just… they’re _ghouls,_ Moka. If we just let them go, more people are going to die!”

 

    “Kurumu is right,” the small voice says, on the verge of tears from the sound of it. “I may not… I-I don’t want to be the reason more humans die.”

 

    “No. It is not our place to pass judgement. I was told never to show a ghoul mercy, but…”

 

    A tired sigh.

 

    “I do not feel like becoming a murderer today. Come on, we’re going this way.”

 

    “But, Moka—”

 

    “Drop it.”

 

    Chouko’s world fades away.

* * *

 

    If they had been humans, those hits would have killed them. Luckily, they are not humans.  
  
  
    Chouko lies seething and broken on the ground, her weak regeneration doing little to heal her many wounds. She's hungry and pissed off, and yet so very glad that those monsters had spared them. She hasn’t lost a fight in such a long time, and it stings, but at least this isn’t the lost battle that takes her life.

 

    Haruka still hasn’t woken up, but Akane has managed to drag them all together, her rinkaku back inside her in case another human passes their way. Midori sits next to Chouko on the ground, even angrier than Chouko with white-clenched fists and gritted teeth. She hasn’t spoken since the non-humans left.

  
  
    Light footsteps, and a shadow looms over them.

 

    The three of them tense, ready for another fight yet careful not to look _too_ ready in case it’s a Dove. Chouko struggles to sit up and fails. She looks up at the newcomer.

  
    It's a young man with hair white as bone and an ornate black eyepatch over his right eye. He wears simple black pants and a dress shirt, almost passing off just another well-dressed passerby. His face is completely blank, yet something about his single cold grey eye sends a shiver down her spine.

  
  
    "Where is my brother."

 

  
    Chouko coughs up blood trying to sit up. "I don't know who are or your brother are, pal.”

  
  
    Pain. Something slaps her shoulder and Chouko hits her head hard on the ground, her vision going black for a moment.

  
  
    When her sight comes back, a single kakugan stares at her menacingly, and Chouko realizes just who this is.

  
  
    The white-haired One-Eyed ghoul, Eyepatch. The psycho that's been running around Tokyo cannibalizing and destroying ghoul restaurants left and right.

 

    Well, fuck.

 

    "I smell his blood," Eyepatch hisses, taking an extra step forward until he's standing right by her feet. Midori stiffens, koukaku sprouting from her back. She doesn’t attack, though. Midori must have come to the same conclusion Chouko had.

  
  
    Their last conscious friend didn’t. Akane rushes at him, her rinkaku battered and still regenerating. She doesn't recognize him.

 

    “Wait—” Midori starts.

  
  
    "Akane, don't!" Chouko shouts, but it's no good.

  
  
    Four blood-red rinkaku sprout from Eyepatch's back, sturdier and longer than Akane's. Three catch Akane's three, and the last one—

  
  
     Goes

 

     Straight

 

     Through

  
  
     Her

 

     Head.

  
  
    A grotesque liquidy sound and Akane is _dead where she stands_ . Her body collapses once Eyepatch pulls his rinkaku from her head, brain matter covering the appendage. Even a rinkaku ghoul's regeneration couldn't hope to heal impalement through the head. Akane is dead. _Akane_ is _dead._

  
  
    Midori screams behind her, but Chouko can't use her voice anymore.

 

    That single cold eye hadn't wavered from Chouko's the entire time, he hadn't flinched when his kagune impaled Akane's skull. He doesn’t care. The remnants of Akane’s brain stains his kagune and _he doesn’t care_.

  
  
    "Where is my brother," he repeats, unfazed.

  
  
    "Fuck you," Chouko manages. "Fuck you and your brother, you fucker."

  
  
    Chouko realizes too late how dispensible she is. Two of her friends are still alive and can try to answer his stupid question. He has no use for her anymore.

  
  
    _'Oh shit,'_ Chouko thinks. _'This is it, isn’t it? Those really weren't the last words I was going for. Dammit. I’m sorry, Dad.’_

  
  
    And Chouko's head is lobbed off her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and see you next time!


End file.
